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QINGDAO TODAY
在线翻译:
szdaily -> Speak Shenzhen -> 
Chad: Oasis of the Sahel
    2018-09-18  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

James Baquet

The north-central African country of Chad was named after Lake Chad, which forms part of the country’s western border. Lake Chad (the word “Chad” just means “lake,” so it’s “Lake Lake”) is what is called an endorheic basin, meaning one with no outflow. In ancient times it was an inland sea, referred to by scientists as “Mega Chad.” It is much reduced in size, even more so in the last third of the 20th century, when it lost some 95 percent of its area, though thankfully it seems to have recovered somewhat. It is very shallow, only 10.5 meters deep at its deepest.

Chad is surrounded by Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger on the west (south to north); Libya on the north; Sudan on the east; and the Central African Republic on the south.

That slogan, “Oasis of the Sahel,” refers to an interesting aspect of Chad’s ecology. The Sahel is a transition zone between the Sahara on the north and the Sudanian Savanna to the south. It is a semi-arid grassland dotted by acacia and other trees. The Sahel covers all or part of over a dozen countries; that Chad is its “oasis” references the prevalence of water in the country.

Chad is also referred to as a modern “Tower of Babel,” with over 200 ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages. The largest group, the Sara, constitute less than a third of the population. Arabic and French are the official languages.

Sadly, corruption in Chad is such that it has been listed as a “failed state,” once the seventh-worst in the world, but now trending toward fourth and fifth. Likewise, the Human Development Index of the United Nations marks it as the world’s seventh-poorest country, where 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line.

Chad has had a settled, agricultural lifestyle for millennia. Ruled by indigenous kings until 1900, Chad was part of French Equatorial Africa until 1920, and then was a colony unto itself until 1940. For the next 20 years it underwent a process of decolonization, until achieving independence from France in 1960. The nation has been ruled by various strongmen, and underwent a civil war from 1979 to 1982. Until today, though called a presidential republic, it is a de facto dictatorship.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. away from the world’s oceans

2. condition of being widespread

3. very large

4. area covered in grass

5. low area of land that collects water

6. twelve

7. groups of 1,000 years

8. not deep

9. movement of water out of someplace

10. partially, half

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