Geography of Chad
Location: | Central Africa, south of Libya |
Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 N, 19 00 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly more than three times the size of California |
Land boundaries: | total: 5,968 km border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | tropical in south, desert in north |
Terrain: | broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m |
Natural resources: | petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt |
Land use: | arable land: 2.8% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 97.18% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 300 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues |
Environment - current issues: | inadequate supplies of potable water; improper waste disposal in rural areas contributes to soil and water pollution; desertification |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping |
Geography - note: | landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel |