Chad

Chad has a rich cultural heritage because of its vast variety of beautiful people and languages. Chad is a landlocked country in north central Africa, with a territory twice the size of Texas. Population densities range from 54 persons per square kilometer in southern zones to 0.1 persons in the vast northern desert region, itself larger than France. The population of the capital city of N'Djamena, situated at the confluence of the Chari and Logone Rivers, is representative of Chad's ethnic and cultural diversity, with a current population of over one million people.

Lake Chad is the second-largest lake in West Africa and is one of the most important wetlands on the continent. Home to hundreds of species of fish and birds, the lake has shrunk dramatically in the last 4 decades due to increased water use and inadequate rainfall. Bordered by Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon, Lake Chad currently covers 1,350 square kilometers, down from 25,000 square kilometers in 1963. The Chari and Logone Rivers, both of which originate in the Central African Republic and flow northward, provide most of the water entering Lake Chad.