Chad

In brief

Chad is a country in Central Africa. Its capital is N’Djamena. With 21 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 63rd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 1,284,000 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.

GDP per capita stands at $1,022 (2025), 178th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 55.2 years (2024). 28% of the population lives in cities.

History of Chad

Around Lake Chad, the Kanem-Bornu Empire dominated the region for nearly a thousand years, alongside the sultanates of Baguirmi and Ouaddai. Colonised by France in the early 20th century, Chad became independent on 11 August 1960. It then went through long civil wars and a conflict with Libya over the Aouzou Strip, awarded to Chad by the International Court of Justice in 1994. Idriss Déby ruled from 1990 until his death in 2021; his son Mahamat succeeded him.

Geography of Chad

Landlocked Chad runs from the Sahara in the north, with the Tibesti mountains and Emi Koussi (3,415 m), the highest peak in the Sahara, to the Sahel in the centre and savanna in the south. Lake Chad has lost much of its surface since the 1960s.

Map of Chad

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Flag of Chad

The flag of Chad is red, blue and yellow. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Blue33%
• Yellow33%
• Red33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Blue, yellow and red vertical bands: blue for the sky and water, yellow for the sun and the desert, red for sacrifice. It is almost identical to the Romanian flag, with a slightly darker blue.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Chad” and “Flag of Chad”.

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Fact file

Economy and society