CHAD TO CANADA
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.

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.

  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.
  Summary Fact Sheet

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