Travel Alert Status
Level 4: Do Not Travel
Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Travel Climate
The capital, N'Djamena, which is located in the Sahelian Zone, has a rainy season extending from June to October, characterized by sporadic, heavy rains and increased humidity with high temperatures in excess of 90°F. The remaining 8 months of the year are dry and generally hot, with a brief respite from November to February when daytime temperatures seldom exceed 90°F and lows at night descend to the 60s. Northeasterly winds off the desert, called the "harmattan," blow regularly during the dry season and envelop the town in a shroud of thick dust. April/May temperatures regularly exceed 110°F.
Travel Currency
605.7
Languages
French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in the south), and more than 120 different languages and dialects
Ethnic Groups
200 distinct groups; in the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang
National Holiday
Independence Day, 11 August (1960)
Geographic Coordinates
15 00 N, 19 00 E
Location
Central Africa, south of Libya
Airports
9