Religion in Chad Index

2003 Report on Religious Liberty in Chad

Chad: Religion in Chad African Religions Christianity Roman Catholicism Protestantism Islam: Tenets Islam in Chad

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Background: In 1960, Chad gained full independence from France. In December 1990, after Chad had endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya, former northern guerrilla leader Idriss DEBY seized control of the government. His transitional government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled the territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution which was ratified by popular referendum in 1996, held multiparty national presidential elections in 1996 (DEBY won with 69% of the vote), and held multiparty elections for the National Assembly in 1997 (DEBY's Patriotic Salvation Movement won a majority of the seats). But by the end of 1998, DEBY was beset with numerous problems including heavy casualties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Chadian troops had been deployed to support embattled President KABILA, a new rebellion in northern Chad, and further delays in the Doba Basin oil project in the south

Nationality:
noun: Chadian(s)
adjective: Chadian

Ethnic groups: Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba), non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa), nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French)

Religions:

Muslim 50%,
Christian 25%,
indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%

Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in south), more than 100 different languages and dialects

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Chad
conventional short form: Chad
local long form: Republique du Tchad
local short form: Tchad

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