Chad – 143rd Country

Chad – 143rd Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Chad is my 143rd country.

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Chad is a landlocked country, located at the crossroads of north-central Africa. Sixteen million people make their home there with 10% found in the capital, N’Djamena. Chad is a smorgasbord of over 200 ethnic and linguistic groups with almost an even split between Christianity and Islam. Chad is also a mix of desert, savannah, fertile grounds, as well as wetlands. Chad was once a colony of France and gained its independence in 1960. Idriss Deby ruled the country from 1990 to 2021, when he was killed on the frontlines fighting an anti-Chadian internal faction.

I touched down in N’Djamena, the capital on October 2, 2021. It was my first new country since March of 2020. I arrived to witness the amazing Gerewol Festival which did not disappoint. After one night in the capital my group partook on a day and half roadtrip to a desolate strip in the savannah. Tents were set up and we spent the week with the Wodaabe people to view this annual matchmaking ceremony.

Unique Faces Of The Gerewol Festival

Visiting Gerewol Festival

It’s A Small World