There is so little life in this state! Most of it is occupied by sands. And the people who inhabit it are very poor. But still, even in such a country in Africa, tourists come. What do they want to see here?
Chad is the poorest country in Africa
The country of Chad is one of the poorest states on the African continent, it is located in Central Africa, in its northern part. The main part of the country is occupied by the Sahara Desert. The capital of Chad is the city of N'Djamena. The state has no access to the sea at all, borders on other countries: in the north - with Libya, in the south - with the Central African Republic, in the west - with Cameroon and Nigeria, in the east - with Sudan.
The flag of the Republic of Chad is three vertical stripes of the same width - blue, yellow and red. The blue color symbolizes the sky, hope and water. The yellow represents the sun and the desert in the northern part of the country. The red color symbolizes progress, unity, as well as the blood shed for the independence of Chad. In the southwestern part of the state, the border runs right along the famous Lake Chad.
Population
The population of the country is about 10 million people, and the Republic of Chad is the largestis in 75th place in the world. This African state has two official languages - French and Arabic. The population of the south also speaks the Sara language, there are about 120 dialects. The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Chad notes that at the age of 15, only 35% of Chadians can speak and write in French or Arabic. The average age of the country's inhabitants is 16.9 years. The birth rate is quite high, but there are also a lot of deaths. In terms of mortality, the Republic of Chad is in 5th place in the world. Needless to say, not the most prosperous country. The number of maternal deaths is the highest in the world.
Drinking water is practically a luxury, available to only 27% of the population. More than 80% of the population is considered unemployed. Chad has a huge number of people with AIDS - more than 200 thousand people. At the same time, medicine is practically absent. There are hospitals only in large cities, and doctors are employees of the Red Cross, all foreigners. There are frequent civil wars, droughts and famines in the republic. All this makes Chad one of the poorest countries in Africa.
Climatic conditions
The Republic of Chad has a very contrasting climate. In its northern and southern parts, it differs sharply. Accordingly, the flora of the African state is heterogeneous. In the north, the country of Chad is a sandy and rocky desert, where oases with rather poor flora and fauna are very rare. The average temperature in January is +15 degrees, and in summer, in July - +30 degrees. Maximum temperatures rise to +56 degrees. ATIn this part, during the dry period, a dry hot wind often blows - harmatan, bringing drought and locusts. In the north, it may not rain for years, but it may rain, leading to flooding. In the south, the Republic of Chad is represented by semi-deserts and savannahs. In winter, the average air temperature here is +22 degrees, in summer - +30-35 degrees. Small rains abruptly turn into heavy downpours, during the monsoon period their number becomes even greater. But in the south, rainfall is more evenly distributed.
Lake Chad
An amazing body of water, located among the sands of Africa, is called the "Sea of the Sahara". This is Lake Chad. It is interesting because the water there is almost fresh, although usually in deserts, in lakes without a drain, the water is s alty. It is also noteworthy that the water level in the lake varies greatly every 20-30 years and depends on the amount of precipitation. In rainy years, the depth reaches 3-5 meters, and the area increases by 2.5 times. Such an amount of fresh water in the center of the sands, of course, attracts a huge number of birds and animals. Here you can meet hippos, crocodiles and manatees, which are generally unknown how they got here. They usually live in the sea.
Traditions and features
About half of all inhabitants of the country profess Islam, about 40% are Christians. 28% of the population of Chad live in cities, the rest live in villages or generally lead a nomadic lifestyle. Mostly people move from place to place in the northernparts of the country. These nomadic tribes are warlike groups, they live apart, they do not make contact with others. Within the tribes there are strict laws of patriarchy. They live in tents made of dense fabric or in clay houses. Each family has its own property, which is not available to other families. This is an oasis, a palm grove, a spring. Particular attention is paid to the education of children, especially boys. They deeply honor the traditions of their ancestors and the worship of pagan gods.
Interesting facts
- The fresh water of Lake Chad is unusable. Although its reserves in the reservoir are huge and thanks to it they get good harvests, but all of it is polluted. Water cannot be used for drinking purposes. It is especially unusual for tourists that it will not be possible to use it in everyday life either. Bottled water should always be available.
- To start photographing anything in the country, you need to get permission in advance from the Ministry of Information or the police station. It will indicate what exactly is allowed to be seen on camera. To take a picture of a local resident, you need to ask him for permission.
- Women of this African republic still artificially change the shape of their body with the help of metal objects. For example, insert them into the lips.
- On the banknotes of the state, in addition to political figures, the most beautiful girl in Chad, Bitta Kellu, is also depicted. There are no other countries like this in the world.
- There was a conflict between Chad and Libya. This is the only war that got the name of a car brand"Toyota". Chad won it, thanks to the SUVs of this brand.
- Looking directly into the eyes of the interlocutor is considered indecent.
- Locals say the weather is bad when the sun is shining and the weather is good when it rains.
Tourist Tips
Chad cannot be considered a tourist country. Many factors hinder the development of tourism. First of all, this is a huge number of infectious diseases due to an acute shortage of drinking water. Only the capital of the Republic of Chad and some other large cities have medical facilities, but there are not many of them. To visit this African country, you need to apply for a visa. You can get it in neighboring countries, for example, in Cameroon or Sudan. It is noteworthy that in order to obtain a visa, the list of required documents includes a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
And yet Chad is visited by tourists. They are attracted by the unique landscapes of Africa, interesting original local tribes, flora and fauna. For the sake of all this, they are ready to travel thousands of kilometers.
