Chad Travel Guide

Chad — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Central Africa.
Language: The official languages are French and Arabic. Other widely spoken African languages include Sara (in the south). The territory’s boundaries enclose a small but highly diverse population.
Area: 1,284,000 sq km (495,800 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 1.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin plug.
Population: 11.2 million (2009).
Population Density: 8.8 per sq km.
Capital City: N’Djaména. Population: 700,000.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Delwa Kassiré Koumakoye since February 2007.
Head of State: President Idriss Déby since 1990.
Religion: 50% Muslim, 35% Christian, 15% animist and other.

Recent History

Since former army commander, Idriss Déby, took power, he has managed to stabilize the political situation to some extent and install a working democratic constitution.

Déby’s political vehicle, the Mouvement Patriotique du Salut (MPS), controls the National Assembly, with a sizeable opposition party in the form of the Union pour le Renouveau et la Démocratie (URD) led by Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue. The main extra-parliamentary opposition is the Mouvement pour la Démocratie and la Justice au Tchad (MDJT), led by Déby’s ex-defense minister, Youssouf Toigimi, which launched an armed rebellion in the northern Tibesti region in October 1998, although its potency has diminished following serious injuries to Toigimi suffered in August 2002.

In 2003 and 2004, unrest in neighboring Sudan's Dafur region spilled across the border, along with thousands of refugees. Of additional importance has been the discovery of large oil deposits in the southern Doba region of the country, which has provided the government with an opportunity to develop the economy. It has also heightened interest in Chad – a relative international backwater – from outside, and has led to some improvement to previously rocky relations with France, the USA, and international institutions such as the World Bank.

Under the terms of the constitution adopted by national referendum in March 1996, the president is directly elected for a five-year term and holds executive power, assisted by an appointed prime minister and cabinet. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral legislature, comprising the 125-strong National Assembly, which is directly elected for a four-year term in a mixture of single-member and multi-member constituencies; and the Senate, which is elected for a six-year term (one-third of which is renewed every two years).

Voters backed a change in constitution allowing Déby to stand for a third term in 2006. The main opposition cried foul over the referendum and refused to field any candidates in the May presidential elections. Déby won with over 75% of the vote, a result rejected by the opposition.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +235. It may be necessary to go through the operator.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies, but travelers should check with their service provider. Coverage is good to variable around N'Djaména and the southwest and patchy to non-existent elsewhere.

Internet

Limited access; available in N'Djaména but speeds are very slow and connection is difficult to establish.

Media

The broadcast media is state-controlled, with coverage generally favoring the Government. Radio is the main means of mass communication. There are about a dozen private radio stations on the air, despite high licensing fees. These are subject to close official scrutiny. Some are run by non-profit groups. Private newspapers, critical of the Government, circulate freely in N'Djaména, but have little impact among the largely rural and illiterate population. Newspapers are printed in French and generally have a low circulation. Le Progres is a daily newspaper; Le Temps is a weekly publication. State-owned Teletchad is the only TV channel.

Post

Airmail takes about one week.Mon-Fri 0700-1130 and 1530-1830, Sat 0730-1100.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
13 Apr National Day
25 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
25 May Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation)
11 Aug Independence Day
30 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
6 Nov - 7 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
28 Nov Proclamation of the Republic
1 Dec Day of Liberty and Democracy
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
9 Apr Easter Monday
13 Apr National Day
1 May Labor Day
25 May Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation)
11 Aug Independence Day
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
25 Oct Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
28 Nov Proclamation of the Republic
1 Dec Day of Liberty and Democracy
25 Dec Christmas Day
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information

British Honorary Consul in Chad (there is no British Embassy in Chad)

Honorary Consul in N'Djamena: ben.sibthorpe-honcon@fconet.gov.uk
In an emergency, British nationals can also obtain consular assistance through the British High Commission in Yaoundé, Cameroon:

British High Commission, Avenue Winston Churchill, BP 547, Cameroon
Tel: (237) 2222 05 45 or (237) 2222 07 96.
Website: www.ukincameroon.fco.gov.uk/en
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0745 - 1245, 1400 - 1545; Fri 0745-1345.