Chad
16
By Luke Hofrichter
plain
published
2020-05-06T08:25:23-07:00
The country of Chad is located between Niger and Sudan and the capital being N’Djamena. Chad has an estimated population of over 13.5 million with most of them speaking either Arabic or French. More than a quarter of the people in Chad at Sara nomads that originated near the Nile. Chad has several different regions located throughout the country. In the North, the geography is predominantly desert. There is a transitional area in the center of the country that is partially desert and partially greener the more south you get in the country. Most of the greenery in the Southern region of Chad is due to Lake Chad which is located there and is the second biggest wetland in all of Africa. Chad is the fifth poorest country in the world with 80% of their population below the poverty line.
Religion
A large number of tribes that reside in the country of Chad came from surrounding Arabic countries during the 19th century. This is the reason that 13% of Chad’s population is Arabic. Chad is a large melting pot of people with around 200 different ethnic groups which leads to the wide diversity of people in their country. Most of the people in Chad speak either Arabic or French. With these 200 ethnic groups, there are three different religious groups: Islam, Christianity, and different African religions. Islam is the most popular religion, with about 50% of the population being Muslim. Christianity is the second most popular religion of Chad and has both Protestants and Catholics. Lastly, Animism is the native religion of Chad. This religion focuses on everyone and everything possessing a spiritual essence. They believe that everything is distinct and different but is alive and holds its own special power.
Dress
Due to the religious beliefs of the people of Chad, social norms for women have made them wear very modest clothing that confines them to stick to their conservative traditional clothing. The women would wear something similar to a long dress to cover them all the way down to their ankles. The women of Chad wear wraps around their heads called “rabotts” or “pagnes” so that you can only see their eyes. To go along with their wraps and dresses, they will typically wear jewelry and occasionally wear scarves that are called “lafais”. The women of Chad wear very vibrant colors for their dresses and wraps and typically match. Lots of men in Chad continue to dress traditionally, but there is more variety in the way that they dress compared to the way that women of Chad dress. Men in more urban places decide to dress in a western style clothing while traditional clothing for the Chadian men wear long robes. These robes are similar to the dresses that the ladies of Chad wear called “jalabiyas”, or they will wear long pants and long sleeved matching shirts called, “boubous”. The jalabiya is similar to the robes the women wear, in the since that they are typically very colorful and have some sort of pattern on them. They will accompany the jalabiyas and the boubous with a turban that they call a “tagiya”. Both men and women wear sandals as shoes. These sandals are often made from anything that they have lying around like leather or plastic.
Music
Chad has several different kinds of music styles. A lot of their music style is based off of that of the Congo. The most popular style is the Sai and can be found predominantly in the Southern region of Chad. The instruments used to play this type of music most commonly include drums and maracas. The Chadian people also use a balafon which is similar to a xylophone made from large pieces of wood that are stranded together with twine. They are then drummed on using sticks and tapped to make a melodic sound. Lutes are also one of the main instruments that are used in certain regions of Chad. A lute is a string instrument that when plucked has a similar sound to certain guitars. Lots of times people will play these instruments in bands or together. They often play these instruments at churches, ritualistic or traditional gatherings, and at bars. While these instruments are being played, villagers will dance and do many traditional movements.Societal Norms
Multiple societies in Chad obtain low-prestige occupational castes, like hunters, potters, and blacksmiths. In pockets of the north, there are groups of slave descendants who have formed communities. Modern education, social change, and the mobilizing effect of the armed movements have partially invalidated traditional prejudices and divisions relating to caste membership. Populations in Chad are very different, so children education is often compromised. Parents are reluctant to send their children to school because it seems more beneficial for them to work. The minimum age for employment is 14, yet many children are forced to work before this because of economic hardships. Only a small percentage of children are schooled, even though it is mandatory in Chad. Children who continue learning after primary school tend to be boys. Gender equality is a problem in this country. Marriage of young girls is a common practice. Legally, the age of marriage is 15 years old for girls and 18 years old for boys. Age of marriage in Chad is usually 13 and this goes against the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (“Children of Chad”). Marriage at this young age can be harmful to health and development. Girls who get married often drop out of school and are limited in social interactions. Early pregnancy is another risk, which is dangerous for the girl and baby. Daily life in Chad is hard because of poor economy and lack of education.
Bibliography
“Children of Chad.” Humanium, https://www.humanium.org/en/chad/.
