N'Djamena^[a] (English:/əndʒɑːˈmeɪnə/^ⓘən-jah-MAY-nə^[3][4]) is thecapital andlargest city ofChad. It is also aspecial statute region, divided into 10 districts orarrondissements, similar to the city ofParis.

N'Djamena N'Djaména (French) انجمينا (Arabic) Fort-Lamy
Capital city
Top: N'Djamena skyline; Middle:National Assembly of Chad, Nation Square (Place de la Nation); Bottom: Downtown N'Djamena
Coat of arms
N'Djamena Location inChad andAfrica Show map of Chad N'Djamena N'Djamena (Africa) Show map of Africa
Coordinates:12°06′19″N15°02′41″E / 12.10528°N 15.04472°E /12.10528; 15.04472
Country	Chad
Area
• Capital city	104 km2 (40 sq mi)
• Metro	166 km2 (64 sq mi)
Elevation	298 m (978 ft)
Population  (2009 census)[1]
• Capital city	807,000
• Density	9,148/km2 (23,690/sq mi)
• Metro	1,605,696
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (WAT)
Area code	235
ISO 3166 code	TD-ND
HDI (2021)	0.432[2] low ·1st

The city serves as the centre ofeconomic activity in Chad.Meat,fish andcotton processing are the chief industries, and it is a regionalmarket forlivestock,salt,dates, andgrains.

It is a port city located at the confluence of theLogone River with theChari River, forming atransborder agglomeration with the city ofKousséri (inCameroon), capital of the Department ofLogone-et-Chari, which is on the west bank of both rivers.^[5]

N'Djamena was founded asFort-Lamy by French commanderÉmile Gentil on 29 May 1900, and named afterAmédée-François Lamy, an army officer who had been killed in theBattle of Kousséri about a month earlier.^[6][7] It was a major trading city and became the capital of the region and nation.

During theSecond World War, the French relied upon the city's airport to move troops and supplies.^[8] On 21 January 1942, a loneGermanHeinkel He 111 of theSonderkommando Blaich successfully bombed the airfield at Fort-Lamy, destroying oil supplies and ten aircraft.^[9]

Fort-Lamy received its first bank branch in 1950, when the Paris-basedBanque de l'Afrique Occidentale opened a branch there.^{[citation needed]}

On 6 April 1973,PresidentFrançois Tombalbaye^[7] changed the city's name to N'Djamena (taken from theArabic name of a nearby village,Niǧāmīnā, meaning "place of rest") as part of hisauthenticité program ofAfricanization.^[10] The city was occupied byLibya during the 1980–81 Libyan intervention as part of theChadian–Libyan conflict,^[11] and the associatedTransitional Government of National Unity.^[12]

The city was partly destroyed during theChadian Civil War, in 1979 and again in 1980. In these years, almost all of the population fled the town, seeking refuge on the opposite bank of theChari River in Cameroon, next to the city ofKousséri. The residents did not return until 1981–82, after the end of the clashes. Until 1984, facilities and services were subject to strict rationing, and schools remained closed.^[13]

The period of turmoil in the city was started by the abortive coup attempted by the northerner Prime MinisterHissène Habré against the southerner PresidentFélix Malloum: while Malloum and the national army loyal to him were defeated, the intervention in the battle of other northern factions rival to that of Habré complicated the situation. A temporary truce was reached in 1979 through international mediation, establishing the warlordGoukouni Oueddei as head of a government of national unity with his rival Habré as Defense Minister. The intense rivalry between Goukouni and Habré caused the eruption of new clashes in the city in 1980; N'Djamena found itself divided into sectors controlled by the various warlords. The tug-of-war reached a conclusion after many months only when Goukouni asked for the intervention of the Libyans, whose tanks overwhelmed Habré's defenses in the capital.^[14]

Following differences between Goukouni andMuammar Gaddafi and international disapproval of Libyan intervention, the Libyan troops left the capital and Chad in 1981. This opened the door to Habré, who marched on N'Djamena, occupying the city with little resistance in 1982 and installing himself as the new president.^[16] He was eventually dislodged in a similar fashion in 1990 by a former general of his,Idriss Déby.^{[citation needed]}

The city had only 9,976 inhabitants in 1937, but a decade later, in 1947, the population had almost doubled to 18,435. In 1968, after independence, the population reached 126,483. In 1993, it surpassed half a million with 529,555. A good deal of this growth has been due to refugees fleeing into N'Djamena for security, although many people fled N'Djamena, also depending on the political situation.^[8] The city surpassed the million mark in population by the early 2010s.

On 13 April 2006, a rebelUnited Front for Democratic Change attack on the city was defeated^[17] in theBattle of N'Djamena. The city was once again attacked on 2 February 2008, byUFDD andRFC rebels.^[18] (SeeBattle of N'Djamena (2008))

N'Djamena is located at12°06′36″N15°03′00″E / 12.11000°N 15.05000°E /12.11000; 15.05000, on theconfluence of theChari andLogone rivers.^[8]

While primarily an administrative centre, the city includes theNassara Stripcommercial centre and residential areas, such asMbololo,Chagoua,Paris Congo andMoursal. The main commercial avenue of the city is theAvenue Charles de Gaulle.

N'Djamena has ahot semi-arid climate (KöppenBSh) with a shortwet season and a lengthydry season. Despite the fact that the city receives on average approximately 510 mm (20 in) of rainfall annually, due to the area's very highevapotranspiration, N'Djamena still falls into the semi-arid climate category. The wet season lasts from June to September, with the heaviest rain occurring in August. The dry season essentially covers the remaining eight months. Based on annual temperatures, N'Djamena is one of the hottest major cities on the planet. In only one month of the year (August) do average monthly high temperatures fail to cross the 32 °C (90 °F) mark. The city's highest temperatures are usually seen between March and May, just before the onset of the heavier rains.

According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, N'Djamena is one of the world's 20 most polluted cities.^[24]

N'Djamena's primary economic source is agricultural work. About 80% of the population within N'Djamena works within farming-based industries, including cultivation of crops and growinglivestock. The economy in N'Djamena is therefore almost totally reliant on good weather, making the economy struggle in years with low rainfall. N'Djamena receives financial aid from theWorld Bank, as well as theAfrican Development Bank. There is a high demand for skilled laborers within N'Djamena to work for oil and gas sectors, as well as laborers for foreignnon-governmental organizations,medical services, and English teaching. Residents of N'Djamena are liable to pay tax up to a maximum amount of 60% of all net income.^[25]

Attractions in the city include theChad National Museum, the Al-Mouna Cultural Center,Our Lady of Peace Cathedral, and severalmosques. Within the Chad National Museum, one can view the partial skull of aSahelanthropus, called by locals as "Toumaï".^[26] This skull was discovered in the northern part of Chad and is considered to be from one of the earliest human ancestors.^[27] Views ofsunset across the Chari River can also be spectacular. N'Djamena was namedCapital of Islamic Culture in 2009.^[28]

In N'Djamena, education can be thought of as a luxury even though it is compulsory and free and has been since Chad's independence in 1960.^[29] Not more than forty percent of elementary age children in Chad have an opportunity to attend classes and with N'Djamena's poor state stability it is even harder for children to get an education. After progressing through elementary school, some students go on to a university.^[30] N'Djamena has two universities: theUniversity of N'Djamena with French as the language of instruction, built in 1971;^[31] andKing Faisal University - Chad with Arabic as the language of instruction,^[32] built in 1991. Secondary schools include the long established LycéeFélix Éboué and Lycée technique commercial, theLycée Montaigne de N'Djamena (French international school). Secondary school within Chad is mandatory, however only 68% of students over the age of 12 attend school. Of that 68%, 70% of these students attend school in N'Djamena. Many of the students in international schools are children of executives, diplomats, and non-governmental organization employees.^{[33][unreliable source?]}

Theplaces of worship are predominantlyMuslimmosques. There are alsoChristian churches and temples ofRoman Catholic Archdiocese of N'Djaména, Evangelical Church of Chad, Christian Assemblies in Chad (Plymouth Brethren).^[34]

N'Djamena is the home of theNational Assembly of Chad, along with many political organisations and parties, and every national ministry. The Supreme Court and Court of Appeal are also in N'Djamena, along with every major embassy in Chad, including the French and US embassies.^[35] It is sometimes considered within theregion ofChari-Baguirmi, although separate.^[36]

The city is the eastern terminus of theTrans-Sahelian Highway, and is linked toEast Africa by the (largely unpaved)N'Djamena–Djibouti Highway. TheTripoli-Cape Town Highway also passes through N'Djamena, making it a keyCentral African location in theTrans-African Highway network.^[37] N'Djamena is linked byroad bridge toKousséri inCameroon.

N'Djamena International Airport Hassan Djamous (IATA code NDJ) is located on the outskirts of the city.

Historically, N'Djamena's main link to the exterior was by river boat up theChari andLogone rivers, but these now carry little trade.^[38]

The city has norailway links. However, railways have been proposed.^[39]

•  Toulouse, France; since 1980^[40]
•  Stupino, Russia; since 2000^[41]

• "Chad Population (2016) – World Population Review".worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved2016-10-28.

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