Chad

Chad
__Flag and Significance-__ The flag of Chad was adopted by the country on November 6, 1959. The blue represents sky, water and Southern Chad. The yellow represents the sun, desert and Northern Chad. The red represents progress, unity and sacrifice. The flag combines the design and colors of the French flag with those of neighboring countries.

__Historical Enemies-__ The enemies of Chad, Africa are Libya and Pakistan.

__Religion-__ Chad is a religiously diverse country, but had no official religion. About 53% are Muslim, 34% are Christian, 7% practice traditional African religions (animism), 3% follow other religions and the remaining 3% are Atheist.

__Capital and Major Cities-__ Capital--N'Djamena (pop. 1 million est.). Other major cities--Moundou, Abeche, Sarh, Bongor, Faya.

__Population-__ 11,227,208

__Imports-__ Over 80% of Chad relies on subsistence farming, although they do import a very large amount of imported goods.

__Exports-__ Before the oil industry, cotton accounted for about 80% of the export earnings and still is the primary export of Chad.

This is where The Republic of Chad is located on a map.

NOW... How does the history of the country inform the decisions it makes in current times? Are there conflicts that persist over generations? Have there been lessons learned that impact how the country interacts with other nations? Why does the history of the nation matter?

The history of the country can inform the decisions that The Republic of Chad makes today by giving Chadians a better understanding on what might be the pros and cons of a certain decision based on occurrences in the past. For example, if the citizens of Chad had rebelled against something that they didn't like in their country then the government would know not to create a law promoting what the citizens rebelled against. There is actually conflict in Chad at this point in time, Chadians are in a civil war and are trying to completely fix their government. There haven't really been any lessons learned that impact how the country interacts with other countries considering that it doesn't really interact with other countries that much. The history of the nation matters because conflicts could have occurred that should not be repeated and through history today's society in Chad can learn from history to try to not repeat those conflicts.

NOW... How do the geography of the country impact its behavior? Does it make it vulnerable to attack? Does it provide a tourist economy? Does it hold valuable resources that make it powerful or the target of external threats? Is it a challenging environment in which to establish a society, and if so how did this reality shape the people and their culture? How has the country been shaped by its neighbors?

The geography of the country impacts Chad's behavior by making it more complicated to import and export cotton and other items to countries not in Africa due to the fact that Chad is located in the central area of Africa. Yes, the location of Chad does make is vulnerable to attack because and enemy could close in from the entire perimeter of Chad and the Chadians would have a hard time escaping due to the fact that there is no ocean nearby that they could make a quick escape through. Chad is not necessarily a tourist destination. It does not hold valuable resources that makes it powerful or the target of external threats. Chad is a poor environment to establish a society. It is ranked the 7th poorest country in the world and is located in a hot environment but also had a huge lake (to the west of the country) and many rivers throughout the country. The country has been helped by other countries such as France, Netherlands and the European Union in its time of need, otherwise it has not necessarily been shaped by its neighbors.

NOW... How does the country's economic standing affect its relationships with other nations? Is the economy on the rise or is it declining? Is the country economically powerful or weak? What trading relationships does it have established and how do these inform national decisions?

Since Chad is ranked the 7th poorest country in the world, some countries want no part with Chad while others wan to help. Chad's economy is declining because it is suffering form geographic remoteness, drought, lack of infrastructure and political turmoil. Chad is economically weak. Chad trades livestock with neighboring countries but has a major export of crude oil and cotton. These trading relationships can inform national decisions by letting the people of Chad know who their allies are and who their foes are.

NOW... How does the particular culture, with religions, social norms, values, etc. impact the behavior of the nation? How do other nations characterize this country? Is the culture of the country tied to the culture of other nations? If so, how does this alter their relationships? Is the country heterogeneous or homogeneous?

The variety of people and languages, religions, etc. in the country of Chad affects the behavior of the nation by making it less/non-judgmental toward other religions. Also the political, spiritual and economic "depression" have caused many of Chadian writers to write from exile. The music of Chad, although, has many foreign instruments but the music industry in Chad is facing problems due to artist's rights. Other nations might characterize this country as a country that needs help. Chad is tied to culture of the nations, because it has a variety of religions Chad incorporates many holidays from each religion into their calendar. This might alter their relationships by making citizens of Chad feel forced into religions that they might not want to be a part of. Chad is a heterogeneous country.

Resources: [] [] The book: "Chad In Pictures" by Christine Zuchora-Walske