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TravelTips24 : Africa : Saharan Africa : Chad

Chad

Chad (French: Tchad) is a country in Saharan Africa, south of Libya, east of Niger and Cameroon, north of the Central African Republic, and west of Sudan. It shares a short border with Nigeria.

Regions

Cities

Goz Beida

Culture and History

Part of France's African holdings until 1960, Chad endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss Deby held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits. In February 2008, an attempted coup rocked the capital [1]. Chad NOW has an excellent recap page detailing the Chadian Rebellion and Coup [2]

Climate

Landscape

Broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south. Lowest point: Djourab Depression (160 meters). Highest point: Emi Koussi (3,415 meters).

Travel to Chad & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Chad

Air France has daily flights from Paris to N'Djaména. Air Ethiopia also flies four times a week between N'Djamena and its hub in Addis Ababa, with one of those flights continuing to/from Bamako, Mali. Toumai Air Tchad also flies to a limited number of West and Central African destinations such as Cotonou, Bangui and Douala. The Libyan airlines Afriqiyah Airways also operates flights to N'Djamena that connect through Tripoli.

By train

There are no usable rail links.

By car

Roads are in bad repair and are typically unpaved - there is only one paved road, which currently runs from Massakory in the north through N'Djamena on to Guelendeng, Bongor, Kelo and Moundou. It is the best road in the country but still has numerous potholes and runs through the center of a number of small villages and drivers should exercise caution and moderate speeds even while on the main road.

There are several border crossings with Cameroon, most notably via Kousseri near N'Djamena and near the towns of Bongor and Lere. Be very careful, drive defensively, don't stop unless there is a very good reason. Do not drive at night, as coupeurs de route (road bandits) are common. They are a particular concern along the two roads leading out of Guelendeng, towards Ba-Illi (where ex-pats were attacked in two separate incidents in 2005, resulting in the death of one Catholic nun) and towards Bongor.

Overland travel is theoretically possible from the Darfur region of Sudan. Watch out for heavily armed militias.

Buses to Chad

Walking

By boat

Tours & Getting around Chad

Talk

The main languages of Chad are French and Arabic. Few Chadians other than the educated and well-traveled speak literary Arabic, however; a dialect of Arabic known as "Chadian Arabic"[3] is much more widely spoken and is the closest thing the country has to a trade language. Chadian Arabic is significantly different from the standard Arabic of North Africa and the Middle East. Literary Arabic speakers can typically understand Chadian Arabic but the reverse is not true. There are over one hundred indigenous languages also spoken.

Chad souvenirs & shopping

There are no restrictions on bringing foreign currencies into Chad. Although travel guides for Chad are hard to come by, some sources claim dollars (in some places) and the CFA franc are accepted.

Chad Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Meat dishes are very popular in Chad, and foreign travelers speak highly of the meat (such as lamb). Food is usually eaten without utensils, and hand sanitizer may be a good precaution. Please note that Muslims find it offensive to eat with the left hand. If eating with or being served by Muslims in Chad, be sure to eat with your right hand only. [4] See N'Djamena Dining and Food [5] for more information on food choices in Chad.

Follow common health travel guidelines concerning raw fruit and cooking requirements to avoid disease. The US State Department website has resources concerning safety while eating abroad.

  • Chad. Because the main occupiers of Chad or Tchad is France, you can easily use the Euro also. But for a white person (compared to the rest of Africa) Chad is an exspensive place. edit

Chad nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Chad cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Years ago few hotels existed in Chad, but now N'Djamena hosts a myriad of affordable options.

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Chad is consistently engulfed in political turmoil and attacks from rebels will probably not happen, but are certainly a reality. Violence from the Darfur conflict is pouring into Eastern Chad from Sudan, a country which shares hostilities with Chad. Any activity outside of N'Djamena is done with difficulty at best. Northern Chad is barren, scorching desert and guides (good luck) and meticulous planning are required to say the very least.

The best way to stay safe in Chad is to avoid it for the time being.

Stay healthy

Respect

There are 200 distinct ethnic groups. In the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad.

Contact

This page was last edited at 12:18, on 23 October 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Mick, David, Peter Fitzgerald and Eric Polk, Wikitravel user(s) Cacahuate and Valtteri, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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