| Every year thousands of people from all over the
world come to Canada to begin a new life. They arrive with many different
skills and with the hope of contributing to their new society. This cultural
profile was written to help Canadians welcome newcomers from Chad to Canada.
It will tell you about Chadian culture and what life is like in Chad. This
information will be useful if you are hosting a Chadian family as part
of the HOST program, learning about Chad in school or working with Chadian
colleagues who have recently arrived in Canada.
Like all recent immigrants, Chadians may
find aspects of their new home unfamiliar. They will have questions about
health care, employment, housing, school and even shopping. You can help
by answering their questions. Not only will your help make their adjustment
to life in Canada easier, you will also discover that you can learn a great
deal from your new friends. |
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| Because Chad is a former French colony and many
of its citizens speak French, most immigrants from Chad who come to Canada
live in Quebec. There is also a small Chadian community in Ontario.
The people of Chad include more than a hundred
distinct ethnic groups, each with its own language and customs. Although
this website gives a general picture of life in Chad, it cannot describe
every cultural group in Chad and does not cover all facets of life in the
country. The customs described may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers
from Chad. |
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Did you know? |
| Chad
is named after Lake Chad, which is the fourth largest lake in Africa and
the seventh largest in the world. It is an extremely shallow lake that
has no outlet to the sea and its shoreline changes every year as parts
of it dry up. |
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Summary Fact Sheet |
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| Official
Name |
Republic of Chad |
| Capital |
N'Djamena |
| Type of
Government |
Republic |
| Population |
8 million |
| Area |
1.2 million sq. km |
| Major
Ethnic Groups |
Gorane, Arab, Sara |
| Languages |
French, Arabic |
| Religions |
Islam, Christianity, indigenous beliefs |
| Unit of
Currency |
Communauté Financière
Africaine (CFA) franc |
| National
Flag |
Three vertical stripes of blue, yellow
and red |
| Date of
Independence |
August 11, 2021 |
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