Chad is a landlocked country in central Africa. The country is bordered by Libya to the north, the Central African Republic to the south, Sudan to the east, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Chad is often referred as the Dead Heart of Africa because its distance from the sea and it has a largely desert climate.
The 3 major geographical regions into which Chad is divided include a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the center and a fertile Sudanese savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. The highest peak in the country is the Emi Koussi in the Sahara. N'Djamena, the capital is by far the largest city. The country is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. Islam is the primary religion of the country. French and Arabic are the official languages.
France conquered the territory of Chad in the year 1920. The country was included as part of the French Equatorial Africa. In 1960, the country gained independence under the leadership of Francois Tombalbaye. Resentment towards his policies in the Muslim north kept growing. This finally led to the eruption of a long-lasting civil war in 1965. In 1979, the rebels occupied the capital and put an end to the hegemony of the south.
The ensuing peace was however short lived. The rebel commanders fought amongst themselves until Hissene Habre defeated his rivals. He was paid back with the same coin when he was overthrown in 1990 by his general Idriss Deby.
Though there are many political parties in the country power lies firmly in the hands of President Deby and his outfit, the Patriotic Salvation Movement. The country is largely dominated by political violence and recurrent attempted coups. The instability has rendered it as one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in Africa.
A vast majority of the population live in poverty. Farming is the chief occupation of the poor. Today the country's primary source of export earnings is petroleum. It has superseded the traditional cotton industry.
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