Chad is a landlocked nation in Central African bordered by Sudan, Libya, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger.

1. Capital: Chad
2. Government: Republic
3. Republic Declared: October 1, 1963
4. Independence from France: August 11, 1960
5. Population: 10,780,600 (2007) Est
6. Currency: Central African Franc (XAF)
7. Official Language: French, Arabic
8. Religion: Muslim, Catholic, Animist
9. Time Zone: West Africa Time (UTC +1)
10. International Dialing Code: +235
11. Internet TLD: .td
12. Motto: "Unité, Travail, Progrès" (Unity, Work, Progress)
13. Anthem: "La Tchadienne"
14. Area: 495,753 square miles

Landlocked far from any bodies of water and containing mostly desert, has been called "The Dead Heart of Africa." However, not all of Chad is arid desert. The area surrounding Lake Chad in the Southwest is the second largest wetlands on the continent, and the Southern Sudanese savanna is a fertile agricultural region.

Armed insurgents have attempted to overthrow the ruling government for years, but the Republic has staved off success with the help of support from France. The recent influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan has placed tremendous logistical pressure on Chad, draining resources.

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  Creative Commons image by [URL "CIA World Factbook"]

• Wikipedia: Geography of Chad

• Atlapedia Online: Chad

• WorldAtlas.com: Chad Map and Information Page

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Chad Profiles

• World InfoZone: Chad Geography

• National Geographic: Map of Chad -