Transport in Chad

Transport infrastructure within Chad is generally poor, especially in the north and east of the country. There are no railways and river transport is limited to the south-west corner.

Roads are mostly unsurfaced and are likely to be impassable during the wet season, especially in the southern half of the country. In the north, roads are merely tracks across the desert and land mines continue to present a danger. Draft animals (horses, donkeys and camels) remain important in much of the country.

Fuel supplies can be erratic, even in the south-west of the country, and are expensive. Elsewhere they are practically non-existent.

Adjacent countries

* Libya
* Sudan
* Central African Republic
* Cameroon
* Nigeria
* Niger

Highways

"total:"33,400 km

"paved:"Approximately 500 km. Some, but not all of the roads in N'Djamena are paved. The country has one paved road outside of N'Djamena, which runs from Massakory in the north, through N'Djamena and then south, through the cities of Guelendeng, Bongor, Kelo and Moundou, with a short spur leading in the direction of Kousseri, Cameroon, near N'Djamena. Expansion of the road towards Cameroon via Pala and Lere is reportedly in the preparatory stages.
"unpaved:"33,133 km (1999 est.)

Waterways

2,000 km navigable
"note": Chari and Logone Rivers are navigable only in wet season (2002). Both flow northwards, from the south of Chad, into Lake Chad.

Pipelines

Since 2003, a 1,070 km pipeline has been used to export crude oil from the oilfields around Doba to offshore oil-loading facilities on Cameroon's Atlantic coast at flagicon|Cameroon Kribi. [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/EXTREGINI/EXTCHADCAMPIPELINE/0,,contentMDK:20516071~menuPK:843292~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:843238,00.html]

Seaports and harbors

None (landlocked)

Chad's main routes to the sea are:-

* From N'Djamena and the south west of Chad:
** By road to Ngaoundéré, in Cameroon, and then by rail to Douala
** By road to Maiduguri, in Nigeria, and then by rail to Port Harcourt
* From the north and east of Chad:
** By road across the Sahara desert to Libya

In colonial times, the main access was by road to Bangui, in the Central African Republic, then by river boat to Brazzaville, and onwards by rail from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire, on Congo's Atlantic coast. This route is now little used.

There is also a route across Sudan, to the Red Sea, but very little trade goes this way.

Links with Niger, north of Lake Chad, are practically nonexistent; it is easier to reach Niger via Cameroon and Nigeria.

Airports

59 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

"total:"6
"over 3,047 m:"2
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"3
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"1
"914 to 1,523 m:"1
"under 914 m:"0 (2003 est.)

List of airports with paved runways:
* Abeche
* Bol, Chad
* Faya-Largeau
* Mao
* Moundou
* N'Djamena

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"53
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"13
"914 to 1,523 m:"20
"under 914 m:"10 (2003 est.)

Maps

[http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/chad.pdf UNJLC map]

See also

* Chad
* Economy of Chad

External links

* [http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/airports/africa/chad.htm List of airports in Chad]