Chad is a sovereign country in Middle Africa, in the wider region of Africa. Treaties and official documents call it Republic of Chad. Its seat of government is N'Djamena.
The population is about 20.3 million, placing it 65th of 250 by population — between Kazakhstan above it and Chile below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 2nd of 10 in size and 4th in population.
The land area is 1,284,000 km², which ranks it 22nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Peru and just ahead of Niger. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as Peru.
Geography and neighbours of Chad
Its reference point sits at 15.0° north and 19.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,670 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Its land neighbours number 6: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. The largest of them by area is Sudan, while the most populous is Nigeria. Together those neighbours hold about 352.0 million people.
Chad is landlocked. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, so all seaborne trade runs through a neighbour's ports. 2 of its neighbours, the Central African Republic and Niger, are landlocked too. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The people of Chad
Spread across 1,284,000 km², that works out at about 16 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Officially it is multilingual, listing Arabic and French. Arabic, the first listed, is shared with 24 other entries worldwide.
Someone from Chad is a Chadian.
Against Africa as a whole it is the 23rd most populous of 59 entries, and it accounts for 9.0% of everyone living in Middle Africa.
The practical details for Chad
Money there is the Central African CFA franc (Fr, XAF). It shares that currency with Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Websites there use the .td domain. The international dialling code is +235. Standard country codes: td and TCD.
N'Djamena is the city to remember for this country.
Chad is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Chad shares borders with 6 countries:
Fun facts about Chad
- It is 65th of 250 by population, with about 20.3 million residents.
- In land area it is almost exactly the same size as Peru.
- It is landlocked, one of 45 entries here with no coastline of its own.
- Within Middle Africa it is the 2nd largest of 10.
- Thailand and the Philippines sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Its capital city is N'Djamena.
- Arabic is official here and in 24 other entries worldwide.
- Ranked by land area, Chad is 22nd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
Chad — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Chad?
- The capital of Chad is N'Djamena.
- How big is Chad?
- Chad covers 1,284,000 km², ranking 22nd of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Peru.
- What language is spoken in Chad?
- Chad lists 2 official languages: Arabic and French.
- What currency does Chad use?
- Chad uses the Central African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XAF). It is shared with 5 other entries.
- Where is Chad located?
- Chad is in Middle Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 15.0° north and 19.0° east, roughly 1,670 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- Is Chad landlocked?
- Yes. Chad has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
- Which countries border Chad?
- Chad borders 6 countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Sudan is the largest of them by area.
- Is Chad a country?
- Yes. Chad is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Chad?
- Chad has a population of about 20.3 million, which makes it the 65th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Kazakhstan sits just above it and Chile just below.
