Chad+Culture

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History
Chad has been inhabited by humans for a very long time, specifically around Lake Chad which is believed to have been inhabited since about 500 B.C. More recently, Chad was part of France's African holdings until 1960, and, "endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990" ( Chad CIA Factbook, 2011 ). Chad's independence day is celebrated on August 11th every year, as this is the day it gained its independence from France in 1960. Rebel groups continue to cause disturbances in the country despite having made peace agreements with the government.

Humanitarian Crisis
 Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of refugees have been flooding in Chad from neighboring Darfur. These people have been driven from their homes by Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military. These people have nowhere to go and many are living in poor living conditions, most without proper food, water, or homes. "UN spokesperson Maurizio Giuliano stated to The Washington Post: "If we do not manage to provide aid at sufficient levels, the humanitarian crisis might become a humanitarian catastrophe"' ( Chad Wikipedia, 2011 ).



Beliefs and Traditions
 Because the people of Chad come from vastly different backgrounds, there are very few set traditions and beliefs. The few that can be found however are respect for community elders, moderation, and being reserved in public. Also, men are seen has having a higher status than women and it is extremely difficult for women to find equal opportunities. Beliefs and traditions continue to break down as internal conflicts tear the country apart.

Food, Music, and Sports
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The main food in Chad is called millet, which are balls of paste that are dipped in sauces. Fish is also popular, which is often sun-dried and smoked. A sweet drink make from hibiscus leaves, called carcaje, is also popular. " The music of Chad includes a number of unusual instruments such as the kinde, a type of bow harp; the kakaki, a long tin horn; and the hu hu, a stringed instrument that uses calabashes as loudspeakers. Other instruments and their combinations are more linked to specific ethnic groups: the Sara prefer whistles, balafones, harps and kodjo drums; and the Kanembu combine the sounds of drums with those of flute-like instruments" (Chad Wikipedia, 2011). The most popular sport in Chad is football, which in the U.S. we call soccer! Many people also like to compete in basketball and wrestling. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Family Structure
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">In Chad, it is common for women to practice polygamy, as about 39% of women are in such unions. The law allows this, unless, at the time of marriage, the spouses decide that it is unacceptable. Violence against women is against the law, but domestic abuse is still common. Nuclear families are very rare, as most families function as an extended family or joint family by brothers. Families also tend to group themselves by clans and child rearing is mostly done by mothers.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Religion and Language
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">53.1% of the population is Muslim and 20.1% is Catholic. The other smaller religions are Protestant, animist, atheist, or they are unknown. As for languages, French and Arabic are the official languages. However, there are over 120 different languages and dialects spoken in Chad! <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Economics
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Chad is currently experiencing an oil boom and has been making changes to the rules on how revenues can be spent. This has been extremely controversial, and Chad ranks as the world's most corrupt state. Chad's main exports are cotton, oil, livestock and textiles. The GNI per capita is $610 U.S. At least 80% of the population relies on farming and livestock raising as a livelihood, and 80% of the population lives below the poverty line <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Political System
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Chad's official name is the Republic of Chad. The legal system is a, "mixed system of civil and customary law" ( Chad CIA Factbook, 2011 ). The chief of state is President Lt. Gen. Idriss Deby Itno, who has been in power since 1990. The head of government is Prime Minister Emmauel Nadingar, and has been in power since 2010. The president is elected by a popular vote for a five-year term and the prime minister is appointed by the president. The political system in this country is under constant pressure from rebel groups.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">References
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(1990). Chad: History, Geography, Government, and Culture — Infoplease.com. //Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. — Infoplease.com//. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107403.h

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">(2011). BBC News - Chad profile. //BBC - Homepage//. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13164686

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Culture of Chad - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, family, social. (2011). //Countries and Their Cultures//. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Chad.html#b

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The World Factbook. (2011, November 15). //Central Intelligence Agency//. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from []

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 9px;">Created by: Elise Boni © <span style="background-color: initial; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 9px;">enboni@ilstu.edu  <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 9px;">Date Created: November 28, 2011  <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 9px;">Date Last Modified: December 6, 2011