African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

CHAD (REPUBLIQUE DU TCHAD)
Chad is an arid to semiarid country of nearly 7,270,000 located in the heart of northern
central Africa. Its neighboring countries are Sudan, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and
Central African Republic. N’Djamena, with a population of 531,000, is the capital and
the largest city in the nation. The ethnic makeup of Chad consists of two hundred distinct
groups, 78 percent of whom live in rural areas. Over a hundred different languages are
spoken in Chad, but the major languages are French (the official language), Arabic,
Fulde, Hausa, Kotoko, Kanembou, and Sara Maba. Half of the population is Muslim,
one-quarter is Christian, and one-quarter practices traditional indigenous religions.
Since the ninth century CE, Chad has prospered under the usually united ruler-states
of Kanem and Bornu. The sultans of these states established successful trading empires
which created trade and commerce between North Africa’s Mediterranean coast and the
Central African interior. Chad has been controlled by the French since 1900 as part of
French Equatorial Africa and became independent in 1960. There has been sporadic civil
war since 1965, an ongoing conflict in which the French have periodically intervened and
even Libya became involved in 1983.
The natural resources in the region are petroleum, salt, uranium, and kaolin, while the
agricultural resources include cotton, cattle, fish, and sugar. The nation’s strongest
industries are livestock products, beer, and textiles. Unfortunately, due to the country’s
geography, the exportation of such products has been difficult and unprofitable because
Chad has no direct access to the sea. The great lake of the same name is shrinking.
Throughout the years Chad has suffered turmoil among its various ethnicities and
religions. The country’s three main geographical regions of the northern Sahara, middle
Sahel region, and southern savanna have played a role in dividing the peoples of these
disparate regions, who speak different languages and have different lifestyles and
economies.
JENNIFER JOYCE
See Draughts
African folklore 122
CHECKERS
CHIEF
Chief refers to a person of eminence or high office, a community leader or overlord. In
Africa, the British used chief (the French chef) as a common term of reference for a