History of Chad | How Old is Chad?

The Republic of Chad was formed in 1958 and became fully independent from France in 1960. This means that Chad has been a recognized sovereign state for 62 years.

The Current State of Chad

Chad was essentially a sedentary region for more than 2000 years, agrarian in nature. Its unique, landlocked position put it a the crossroads of other civilizations, mainly under Arabic and French control. Due to their nature of not wanting to conquer other regions, many of Chad's people were subject to slavery by the dominant powers. In 1900, the French colonized Chad as a source of menial labor and cotton. Chad's educational and economic system underwent a lot of neglect, as the dregs of French society were sent to Chad to both work and oversee tasks that contributed to the harvesting of cotton and other raw materials. Only the Sara tribe in the south was governed, meaning there was no directional leadership for the rest of the country - causing a state of unrest.

It was not until after World War II that France legally recognized the Chadian independence of the state. A pro-French leader was established and banned any opposition, effectively making the country a one-party dictatorship. It wasn't until 1975 that the leader was overthrown and killed, making Chad a military junta of opposing armed forces. Various other civil strife ensued, including the most recent coup in 2013. Chad is currently adamant in its efforts to fight against Islamist militants such as Boko Haram. The constitution has been replaced with a transitional government to give General Mahamat Idriss control over both the country and its armed forces. Chad's internal affairs have still not been solved to this day, and the country continues to falter because of it.

Date of Initial Sovereignty
1960
Years Since Initial Sovereignty
64

History of Chad | How Old is Chad?

How old is Chad?

The country of Chad is 64 years old, founded in the year 1960.

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