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{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = <big> جمهورية تشاد </big><br/>''Jumhūriyyat Tshād''<br/>''République du Tchad''
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Chad
|common_name = Chad
|image_flag = Flag of Chad.svg
|image_coat = Chad coa.png
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|image_map = LocationChad.svg
|national_motto = ''"Unité, Travail, Progrès"''{{spaces|2}}<small>(])<br/>"Unity, Work, Progress"</small>
|national_anthem = '']''
|official_languages = ], ]
|capital = ]
|latd=12 |latm=06 |latNS=N |longd=15 |longm=02 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_name2 = ]
|area_rank = 21st
|area_magnitude = 1 E12
|area = 1,284,000
|areami² = 495,753 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 1.9
|population_estimate = 10,146,000
|population_estimate_rank = 75th
|population_estimate_year = 2005
|population_census = 6,279,921
|population_census_year = 1993
|population_density = 7.9
|population_densitymi² = 20.4 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_density_rank = 212th
|GDP_PPP = $15.260 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 128th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $1,519
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 163th
|sovereignty_type = ]
|sovereignty_note = from ]
|established_event1 = Date
|established_date1 = ] ]
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.368
|HDI_rank = 171st
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = <font color="#e0584e">low</font>
|currency = ]
|currency_code = XAF
|country_code = TCD
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = not observed
|utc_offset_DST = +1
|cctld = ]
|calling_code = 235
}}


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'''Chad''' (Arabic:<big> تشاد </big>; French: ''Tchad''), officially the '''Republic of Chad''', is a ] country in ]. It borders ] to the north, ] to the east, the ] to the south, ] and ] to the southwest, and ] to the west. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely ] climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa". Chad is divided into three major geographical regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile ] savanna zone in the south. ], after which the country is named, is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. Chad's highest peak is the ] in the ], and the largest city by far is ], the capital. Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. French and Arabic are the official languages.

Beginning in the 7th millennium BC, human populations moved into the Chadian basin in great numbers. The region became the crossroads of civilisations, beginning with the legendary ]. By the end of the 1st millennium BC, a series of states and empires rose and fell in Chad's ]ian strip, each focused on controlling the ] routes that passed through the region. France conquered the territory by 1920 and incorporated it as part of ]. In 1960 Chad obtained independence under the leadership of ]. The Christians and animists of southern Chad supported Tombalbaye's policies, but Muslims in the north resented them. In 1965 a long-lasting civil war erupted. In 1979 the rebels conquered the capital and put an end to the south's hegemony. However, the rebel commanders fought amongst themselves, and foreign governments, especially Libya and France, intervened. The ] erupted in 1978 and lasted until 1987, when the warlord ] defeated Libya and reunited Chad. Three years later Habré was overthrown by one of his former supporters, ].

Déby has made overtures towards political pluralism, but power lies firmly in the hands of the president and his political party, the ]. Déby unilaterally modified the ] in 2005 to further strengthen his control. Chad remains plagued by political violence and recurrent attempted coups d'état. The ] in Sudan has spilt over the border and only further destabilised Chad. Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in Africa; most Chadians live in poverty as subsistence herders and farmers.

==History==
{{main|History of Chad}}
] and killing ] on ], ], France removed a major obstacle to its colonisation of Chad.]]
In the 7th millennium BC, ecological conditions in the northern half of Chadian territory favoured human settlement, and the region experienced a strong population increase. Some of the most importantant African archeological sites are found in Chad, mainly in the ]; some date to earlier than 2,000 BC.<ref>S. Decalo, ''Historical Dictionary of Chad'', 44&ndash;45</ref><ref name="Collelo">S. Collelo, ''Chad''</ref> For more than 2,000 years, the Chadian Basin has been inhabited by agricultural and sedentary peoples. The region became a crossroads of civilisations. The earliest of these were the legendary ], who are known from artifacts and oral histories. The Sao fell to the ],<ref>D. Lange, "The Chad region as a crossroad"</ref><ref>S. Decalo, 6</ref> the first and longest-lasting of the empires that developed in Chad's ]ian strip by the end of the 1st millennium AD. The power of Kanem and its successors was based on control of the ] routes that passed through the region.<ref name="Collelo"/> These states, at least tacitly Muslim, never extended their control to the southern grasslands except to ].<ref>S. Decalo, 7&ndash;8</ref>

] led to the creation of the ''Territoire Militaire des Pays et Protectorats du Tchad'' in 1900. By 1920, France had secured full control of the colony.<ref>S. Decalo, 8, 309</ref> ] was characterised by an absence of policies designed to unify the territory and an exceptionally slow pace of modernisation. The French gave the colony little importance and primarily viewed it as a source of untrained labour and raw cotton. France introduced large-scale cotton production in 1929. The colonial administration in Chad was critically understaffed and had to rely on the dregs of the French civil service. Only the south was governed effectively, while in the north and east the French only weakly supervised. The educational system suffered from this neglect.<ref name="Collelo"/><ref>S. Decalo, 8&ndash;9</ref> After World War II, France granted Chad the status of overseas territory and its inhabitants the right to elect representatives to the ] and a ]. The largest political party was the ] (PPT), based in the southern half of the colony. Chad was granted independence on ] ] with the PPT's leader,], as its first ].<ref>S. Decalo, 248&ndash;249</ref><ref name="Collelo"/><ref>S. Nolutshungu, ''Limits of Anarchy'', 17</ref>

] during WWII.]]
Two years later, Tombalbaye banned opposition parties and established a one-party system. Tombalbaye's autocratic rule and insensitive mismanadgement exacerbated interethnic tensions. In 1965 Muslims began a ]. Tomalbaye was removed in a ], but the insurgency continued. In 1979 the rebel factions conquered the capital, and all central authority in the country collapsed. Armed factions, many from the north's rebellion, contended for power.<ref>S. Decalo, 12&ndash;16</ref><ref>S. Nolutshungu, 268</ref> The disentegration of Chad caused the collapse of France's position in the country. Libya moved to fill the power vacuum and became ].<ref>S. Nolutshungu, 150</ref> Libya's adventure ] in 1987; the French-supported president, ], evinced a united response from Chadians of a kind never seen before<ref>S. Nolutshungu, 230</ref> and forced the Libyan army off Chadian soil.<ref>K. Pollack, ''Arabs at War'', 391&ndash;397</ref>

It became clear that behind the apparent return to normality was an air of tension. Habré consolidated his dictatorship through a power system that relied on corruption and violence; an estimated 40,000 people were killed under his rule. The president favoured his own ] ethnic group and discriminated against his former allies, the ]. His general, ], overthrew him in 1990.<ref>S. Nolutshungu, 234&ndash;237</ref>

Deby attempted to reconcile the rebel groups and re-introduced multiparty politics. Chadians approved a ] by referendum, and in 1996, Déby easily won a ]. He won a ] five years later.<ref>R. East and R. Thomas, ''Profiles of People in Power'', 100</ref> ] exploitation began in Chad in 2003, bringing with it hopes that Chad would at last know some tranquillity. Instead, internal dissent worsened, and a ] broke out. Déby ] to remove the two-term limit on the presidency; this caused an uproar among the civil society and opposition parties.<ref>IPS, "Le pétrole au coeur des nouveaux soubresauts au Tchad"</ref> In 2006 Déby won ] in elections that the opposition boycotted. Ethnic violence in eastern Chad has increased; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warns that a genocide like that in ] may yet occur in Chad.<ref>BBC News, "Chad may face genocide, UN warns"</ref>

==Politics and government==
{{main|Politics of Chad}}
{{seealso|Foreign relations of Chad}}
]
Chad's constitution provides for a strong executive branch headed by a president who dominates the political system. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet, and exercises considerable influence over appointments of judges, generals, provincial officials and heads of Chad's para-statal firms. In cases of grave and immediate threat, the president, in consultation with the National Assembly, may declare a state of emergency. The president is directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term; in 2005 constitutional term limits were removed. Most of Deby's key advisers are members of the Zaghawa ethnic group, although some southern and opposition personalities are represented in ].<ref name="BGN">"Background Notes: Chad</ref><ref name="UNPACP">Republic of Chad - Public Administration Country Profile</ref> Corruption is rife at all levels; ]'s ] for 2005 named Chad the most corrupt country in the world.<ref>BBC News, "Worst corruption offenders named"</ref>

Chad's legal system is based on ] and Chadian customary law where the latter does not interfere with public order or constitutional guarantees of equality. Despite the constitution’s guarantee of judicial independence from the executive branch, the president names most key judicial officials. The legal system's highest jurisdictions, the ] and the ], have become fully operational since 2000. The Supreme Court is made up of a chief justice, named by the president, and fifteen councillors, appointed for life by the president and the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court is headed by nine judges elected to nine-year terms. It has the power to review legislation, treaties and international agreements prior to their adoption.<ref name="UNPACP"/><ref name="BGN"/>

The ] makes legislation. The body consists of 155 members elected for four-year terms who meet three times per year. The Assembly holds regular sessions twice a year, starting in March and October, and can hold special sessions when called by the prime minister. Deputies elect a National Assembly president every two years. The president must sign or reject newly passed laws within 15 days. The National Assembly must approve the prime minister's plan of government and may force the prime minister to resign through a majority vote of no confidence. However, if the National Assembly rejects the executive branch's program twice in one year, the president may disband the Assembly and call for new legislative elections. In practice, the president exercises considerable influence over the National Assembly through his party, the ] (MPS), which holds a large majority.<ref name="BGN"/>

Until the legalisation of opposition parties in 1992, Déby's MPS was the sole legal party in Chad.<ref name="BGN"/> Since, ] have become active.<ref name="HRP">"Chad", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, (2006)</ref> In 2005, opposition parties and human rights organizations boycotted the constitutional referendum that allowed Déby to stand for re-election for a third term<ref>"Chad", Amnesty International</ref> amid reports of widespread irregularities in voter registration and government censorship of independent media outlets during the campaign.<ref name="FH">"Chad (2006)", Freedom House.</ref> Correspondents judged the 2006 presidential elections a mere formality, as the opposition deemed the polls a farce and boycotted.<ref>BBC News, "Chad leader's victory confirmed"</ref>

Déby faces an armed opposition of groups who are deeply divided by leadership clashes but united in their intention to overthrow him.<ref>ICG, "Tchad: Vers le retour de la guerre?"</ref> These forces ] on ], ]. Although repelled, analysts such as Michael Weinstein have argued that this new cycle of instability will probably culminate in regime change.<ref>M. Weinstein, "Chad's Cycle of Instability Gains Momentum"</ref> France is Chad's greatest outside influence and maintains 1,000 troops in the country. Déby relies on the French to help repel the rebels, and France gives the ] logistical and intelligence support for fear of a complete collapse of regional stability.<ref>PINR, "Instability on the March in Sudan, Chad and Central African Republic"</ref> Nevertheless, Franco-Chadian relations were soured by the granting of oil drilling rights to the American ] company in 1999.<ref>BBC News, "Chad's vulnerable president"</ref>

] face considerable challenges due to the nation's dispersed population and a certain degree of reluctance on the part of parents to send their children to school. Although attendance is compulsory, only 68% of boys continue past primary school, and more than half of the population is illiterate. Higher education is provided at the ].<ref name="BGN"/><ref name="EB"/>

== Administrative subdivisions ==
]
{{main|Regions of Chad|Departments of Chad|Sub-prefectures of Chad}}
Chad is divided into ]. This system came about in 2003 as part of the decentralisation process, when the government abolished the previous ]. Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. Prefects administer the ] within the regions. The departments are divided into ], which are in turn composed of 446 cantons.<ref>"Chad", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, (2004)</ref><ref>T. Ndang, "A qui Profitent les Dépenses Sociales au Tchad?"</ref> The cantons are scheduled to be replaced by ''communautés rurales'', but the legal and regulatory framework has not yet been completed.<ref>Chad - Community Based Integrated Ecosystem Management Project". World Bank.</ref> The constitution provides for decentralised government to compel local populations to play an active role in their own development.<ref>"Tchad", UNESCO</ref> To this end, the constitution declares that each administrative subdivisions will be governed by elected local assemblies,<ref>''La decentralisation au Tchad''</ref> but no local elections have taken place,<ref name="OECD">"Chad", OECD</ref> and communal elections scheduled for 2005 have been repeatedly postponed.<ref name="HRP"/>

The regions are:<ref>République du Tchad - Circonscriptions administratives.</ref>
<table><td><ol>
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
</td><td><ol start=7>
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
</td><td><ol start=13>
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
<li> ]
</ol></td></table>

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Chad}}
]
At {{km2 to mi2|1284000|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}}, Chad is the world's 21st-largest country. It is comparable in size to Niger and slightly more than three times the size of the U.S. state of California.<ref name="CIA">"Chad", ''The World Factbook''.</ref><ref>"Rank Order - Area"</ref> Chad is in north central Africa, lying between 8° and 24° north and between 14° and 24° east. Chad is bounded to the north by Libya, to the east by Sudan, to the west by Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, and to the south by the Central African Republic. The country's capital is {{km to mi|1600|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}} from the nearest seaport.<ref name="EB">"Chad",''Encyclopædia Britannica''.</ref><ref name="UNHCHR">"Chad". United Nations Commission on Human Rights.</ref> Due to this distance from the sea and the country's largely ] climate, Chad is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa".<ref>D. Botha, "S.H. Frankel"</ref>

]
A heritage of the colonial era, Chad's borders do not coincide wholly with natural boundaries. The dominant physical structure is a wide basin bounded to the north, east and south by mountain ranges. ], after which the country is named, is the remains of an immense lake that occupied {{mi2 to km2|130000|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}} of the Chadian Basin 7,000 years ago. <ref name="EB"/> Although in the 21st century, it covers only {{mi2 to km2|6875|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}}, and its surface area is subject to heavy seasonal fluctuations,<ref>EB, "Chad, Lake", ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.</ref>, the lake is Africa's second largest wetland.<ref>A. Dinar, ''Restoring and Protecting the World's Lakes and Reservoirs'', 57</ref> The ], a dormant volcano in the ] that reaches {{km to mi|3414|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=no}} above sea level, is the highest point in Chad and the Sahara.

Each year a tropical weather system known as the ] crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a brief ]; a longer ] follows.<ref>J. Chapelle, ''Le peuple tchadien'', 8</ref> Variations in local rainfall create three major geographical zones. The ] lies in the country's northern third. Yearly precipitations there is under 50 mm; in fact, ] in Chad is the most arid area of the Sahara. Vegetation throughout this belt is scarce; only the occasional spontaneous palm grove survives, the only ones to do so south of the ]. The Sahara gives way to a ]ian belt in Chad's centre; precipitation there varies from 300 to 600 mm per year. In the Sahel a steppe of thorny bushes (mostly ]s) gradually gives way to a ] in Chad's ]ian zone to the south. Yearly rainfall in this belt is over 900&nbsp;mm.<ref name="UNHCHR"/> The region's tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favourable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad's major rivers—the ], ] and their tributaries—flow through the southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad.<ref name="EB"/><ref>J. Chapelle, 10-16</ref>

==Economy and infrastructure==
]
{{main|Economy of Chad}}
The United Nations' ] ranks Chad as the fifth poorest country in the world, with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. The GDP (PPP) per capita was estimated as U.S.$ 1,500 in 2005.<ref>The World's 10 Poorest Countries.</ref> Chad is part of the ] and the ] (UDEAC). Its currency is the ]. Years of civil war have scared away foreign investors; those who left Chad between 1979 and 1982 have only recently begun to regain confidence in the country's future. In 2000 major direct foreign investment in the oil sector began, boosting the country's economic prospects.<ref name="CIA"/><ref name="BGN"/>

] with water is provided by a water tower. Access to improved water is often a problem in Chad.]]
Over 80% of Chad's population relies on subsistence farming and livestock raising for its livelihood.<ref name="CIA"/> The crops grown and the locations of herds are determined by the local climate. In the southernmost 10 percent of the territory is the nation's most fertile cropland, with rich yields of ] and ]. In the Sahel only the hardier varieties of millet grow, and these with much lower yields than in the south. On the other hand, the Sahel is ideal pastureland for large herds of commercial cattle and for goats, sheep, donkeys, and horses. The Sahara's scattered oases support only some dates and legumes.<ref name="Collelo"/> Before the development of oil industry, cotton dominated industry and the labour market and accounted for approximately 80% of export earnings.<ref>S. Decalo, 11</ref> Cotton remains a primary export, although exact figures are not available. Rehabilitation of ], a major cotton company that suffered from a decline in world cotton prices, has been financed by France, the Netherlands, the European Union, and the ] (IBRD). The parastatal is now being privatised.<ref name="BGN"/>

] leads a consortium of ] and ] that has invested $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves estimated at one billion barrels in southern Chad. Oil production began in 2003 with the ] (financed in part by the ]) that links the southern oilfields to terminals on the Atlantic coast of Cameroon. As a condition of its assistance, the World Bank insisted that 80% of oil revenues be spent on development projects. In January 2006 the World Bank suspended its loan program when the Chadian government passed laws reducing this amount.<ref name="BGN"/><ref name="OECD"/> On ], ], the World Bank and Chad signed a memorandum of understanding under which the Government of Chad commits 70% of its spending to priority poverty reduction programmes.<ref>''World Bank, Govt. of Chad Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Poverty Reduction''. World Bank.</ref>

].]]
Civil war crippled the development of ]; in 1987, Chad had only {{km to mi|30|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}} of paved roads. Successive road rehabilitation projects improved the network<ref>"Chad Poverty Assessment". World Bank.</ref> to {{km to mi|550|spell=Commonwealth|precision=0|wiki=yes}} by 2004.<ref>Lettre d'information. Délégation de la Commission Européenne au Tchad.</ref> Nevertheless, the road network is limited; roads are often unusable for several months of the year. With no railways of its own, Chad depends heavily on Cameroon's rail system for the transport of Chadian exports and imports to and from the seaport of ].<ref>A. Chowdhury & S. Erdenbileg, ''Geography Against Development''</ref> An ] serves the capital and provides regular direct flights to Paris and several African cities. The ] is basic and expensive, with fixed telephone services provided by the state telephone company ]. Only 14,000 fixed telephone lines serve all of Chad, one of the lowest telephone density rates in the world. Chad's energy sector has suffered from years of mismanagement by the parastatal ] (STEE), which provides power for 15% of the capital's citizens and covers only the 1.5% of the national population.<ref name="CCG">Chad Country Commercial Guide.</ref> Most Chadians burn biomass fuels such as wood and animal manure for power.<ref name="EIA">"Chad and Cameroon". Energy Information Administration.</ref> Chad's cities face serious difficulties of municipal infrastructure; only 48% of urban residents have access to potable water and only 2% to basic sanitation.<ref name="EB"/><ref>"Chad - Community Based Integrated Ecosystem Management Project". World Bank.</ref>

The country's television audience is limited to N'Djamena. The only television station is the state-owned ]. Radio has a far greater reach, with 13 private radio stations. Newspapers are limited in quantity and distribution, and circulation figures are small due to transportation costs, low literacy rates, and poverty.<ref>"Chad (2006)". ''Freedom of the Press: 2007 Edition''.</ref><ref name="EIA"/> While the constitution defends liberty of expression, the government has regularly restricted this right, and at the end of 2006 began to enact a system of prior censorship on the media.<ref>"Chad - 2006". Freedom Press Institute.</ref>

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Chad}}
2005 estimates place Chad's population at 10,146,000; 25.8% live in urban areas and 74.8% in rural ones.<ref>''World Population Prospects''.</ref> The country's population is young: an estimated 47.3% is under 15. The birth rate is estimated at 42.35 births per 1,000 people, the mortality rate at 16.69. The life expectancy is 47.2 years.<ref name="CIA"/>

]an girl]]
Chad's population is unevenly distributed. Density is 0.1 inhabitant per km² in the Saharan Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region but 52.4 per km² in the ]. In the capital, it is even higher.<ref name="UNHCHR"/> About half of the nation's population lives in the southern fifth of its territory, making this the most densely populated region.<ref>"Chad Livelihood Profiles". U.S. Agency for International Development.</ref> Urban life is virtually restricted to the capital, whose population is mostly engaged in commerce. The other major towns are ], ], ] and ], which are less urbanised but are growing rapidly and joining the capital as decisive factors in economic growth.<ref name="EB"/> Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad from war-ridden Darfur. With the 100,000 Chadians displaced by the civil war in the east, this has generated increased tensions among the region's communities.<ref>"Chad: Humanitarian Profile - 2006/2007"</ref>

] is common, with 39% of women living in such unions. This is sanctioned by law, which automatically permits ] unless spouses specify that this is unacceptable upon marriage.<ref>"Chad". ''Women of the World''.</ref> Although violence against women is prohibited, domestic violence is common. ] is prohibited, but the practice is widespread and deeply rooted in tradition; 45% of Chadian women undergo the procedure. Discrimination against women is widespread. Women lack equal opportunities in education and training, making it difficult for them to compete for the relatively few formal-sector jobs. Although property and inheritance laws based on the French code do not discriminate against women, local leaders adjudicate most inheritance cases in favor of men, according to traditional practice.<ref name="HRP"/>

]
Chad has more than 200 distinct ethnic groups,<ref name="BGN"/> which creates diverse social structures. The colonial administration and independent governments have attempted to impose a national society, but for most Chadians the local or regional society remains the most important influence outside the immediate family. Nevertheless, Chad's peoples may be classified according to the geographical region in which they live. In the south live sedentary people such as the ], the nation's main ethnic group, whose essential social unit is the lineage. In the Sahel sedentary peoples live side-by-side with nomadic ones, such as the ]s, the country's second major ethnic group. The north is inhabited by nomads, mostly ]s.<ref name="EB"/><ref name="Collelo"/> The nation's official business languages are ] and ], but over 100 languages and dialects are spoken. Due to the important role played by itinerant Arab traders and settled merchants in local communities, ] has become a ''lingua franca''.<ref name="Collelo"/>

The 1993 census found that 54% of Chadians were ], 20% ], 14% Protestant, 10% animist, and 3% atheist.<ref name="UNHCHR"/> None of these religious traditions is monolithic. Animism includes a variety of ancestor and place-oriented religions whose expression is highly specific. Islam, although characterised by an orthodox set of beliefs and observances, is expressed in diverse ways. Christianity arrived in Chad only with the French; as with Chadian Islam, it syncretises aspects of pre-Christian religious beliefs.<ref name="Collelo"/> Muslims are largely concentrated in northern and eastern Chad, and animists and Christians live primarily in southern Chad and ].<ref name="EB"/> The constitution provides for a secular state and guarantees religious freedom; different religious communities generally coexist without problems.<ref>"Chad", ''International Religious Freedom Report 2006''.</ref>

==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Chad}}
{| class="prettytable" style="float: left;"
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! colspan="2" | Holidays<ref name="CCG"/>
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! style="font-size: smaller;" | Date
! style="font-size: smaller;" | English Name
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Due to its great variety of peoples and languages, Chad possesses a rich cultural heritage. For example, the Chadian government have actively promoted Chadian culture and national traditions by opening the ] and the ]<ref name="EB"/> Six ] are observed throughout the year, and movable holidays include the Christian holiday of ] and the Muslim holidays of ], ], and ].<ref name="CCG"/>

Chadians enjoy listening to music, both traditional and modern. Chadians play instruments such as the ''kinde'', a type of bow harp; the '']'', a long tin horn; and the ''hu hu'', a stringed instrument that uses ]es as loudspeakers. Specific ethnic groups make use of characteristic instruments: the Sara prefer whistles, ]es, harps and ''kodjo'' drums; and the ] combine the sounds of drums with those of flute-like instruments.<ref name="culture">"Chad: A Cultural Profile"</ref>

]
The music group ] formed in 1964 and initiated Chad's modern music scene. Later, more renown groups such as ] and ] attempted to mix modernity and tradition. Popular groups such as ] have clung faster to tradition by drawing on '']'', a traditional style of music from southern Chad. The people of Chad have traditionally disdained modern music. However, in 1995, greater interest has developed and fostered the distribution of CDs and audio cassettes featuring Chadian artists. Piracy and a lack legal protections for artists' rights remain problems to further development of the Chadian music industry.<ref name="culture"/><ref>L. Gondjé, "La musique recherche son identité"</ref>

Millet is the staple food throughout Chad. It is used to make balls of paste that are dipped in sauces. In the north this dish is known as ''alysh''; in the south, as ''biya''. Fish is popular, especially as ''salanga'', a form of small dried fish, or ''banda'', larger smoked fish. ''Carcaje'' is a popular sweet drink extracted from hibiscus leaves. Alchoholic beverages, though absent in the north, are popular in the south, where people drink ], known as ''billi-billi'' when distilled from red millet and as ''coshate'' when from white millet.<ref name="culture"/>

As in other Sahelian countries, literature in Chad has suffered from an economic, political and spiritual drought that has affected its best known writers. Chadian authors have been forced to write from exile or expatriate status and have generated literature dominated by themes of political oppression and historical discourse. Since 1962, 20 Chadian authors have written some 60 works of fiction. Among the most internationally renown writers are ], ], ], and ]. In 2003, Chad's sole literary critic, ], published his ''Anthologie de la littérature tchadienne'' to further knowledge of Chad's literature internationally and among youth and to make up for Chad's lack of publishing houses and promotional structure.<ref name="culture"/><ref>N. Malo, "Littérature tchadienne"</ref><ref>D. Boyd-Buggs & J. Hope Scott, ''Camel Tracks'', 12, 132, 135</ref>

The development of a Chadian film industry has suffered from the devastations of civil war and from the lack of ]—there is only one in the whole country. The first Chadian ], the ] '']'', was made in 1999 by ]. His later film '']'' was critically acclaimed, and his '']'' won the Grand Special Jury Prize at the ]. ] directed Chad's two other films, '']'' and '']''. <ref>N. Bambé, "Issa Serge Coelo"</ref><ref>N. Young, ''An interview with Mahamet-Saleh Haroun''</ref><ref>BBC News, "Mirren crowned 'queen' at Venice"</ref><ref>D. Alphonse, "Cinéma"</ref>

Football is Chad's most popular ]. The country's ] is much followed during international competitions, and Chadian footballers have played for French teams. Basketball and freestyle wrestling are widely practiced, the latter in a form in which the wrestlers don traditional animal hides and cover themselves with dust.<ref name="culture"/>

== See also ==
*]

==References==
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*{{fr icon}}Dadnaji, Dimrangar (1999); ''''
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*East, Roger & Richard J. Thomas (2003); ''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders''. Routledge. ISBN 1-8574-3126-X
*Dinar, Ariel (1995); ''Restoring and Protecting the World's Lakes and Reservoirs''. World Bank Publications. ISBN 0-8213-3321-6
*{{fr icon}}Gondjé, Laoro (2003); "", ''Tchad et Culture'' '''214'''.
*Lange, Dierk (1988). "", in ''UNESCO General History of Africa - Africa from the Seventh to the Eleventh Century'', vol. 3: 436&ndash;460. ]. ISBN 978-0-520-03914-8
*{{fr icon}}. Délégation de la Commission Européenne au Tchad. N. 3. September 2004.
*{{fr icon}}Malo, Nestor H. (2003); "", ''Tchad et Culture'' '''214'''.
*Manley, Andrew; "", BBC News, ], ].
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*] (1995); ''Limits of Anarchy: Intervention and State Formation in Chad''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. ISBN 0-8139-1628-3
*] (2002); ''Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948&ndash;1991''. Lincoln: ]. ISBN 0-8032-3733-2
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*{{fr icon}}. ].
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*{{fr icon}}"". ]. ], ].
*{{fr icon}}Tetchiada, Sylvestre; "", ], ], ].
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*Young, Neil (August 2002); ''''.

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Chad}}
* {{fr icon}}
* {{fr icon}}
*

{{Template group
|title = Geographic locale
|list =
{{Countries of Central Africa}}
{{Countries of Africa}}
}}
{{Template group
|title = International membership
|list =
{{African Union (AU)}}
{{Community of Sahel-Saharan States}}
{{La Francophonie|state=collapsed}}
{{Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)|state=collapsed}}
}}

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Revision as of 18:18, 19 June 2007

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