What is the capital of Chad?
N'Djamena sits at the confluence of the Chari and Logone rivers in western Chad, directly across the river from the Cameroonian city of Kousseri, with which it forms a transborder agglomeration.
N'Djamena is the capital and seat of government of Chad. Chad itself has an estimated population of 21,003,705 (2025).
N'Djamena is also the largest city in Chad, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
N'Djamena at a glance
| Country | 🇹🇩 Chad |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1900 |
| Largest city in Chad | N'Djamena |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (WAT) |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) |
About N'Djamena
The city was founded as Fort-Lamy by the French commander Emile Gentil on 29 May 1900, and was renamed N'Djamena on 6 April 1973.
N'Djamena is the political and economic centre of Chad.
The Chad National Museum in the city holds a partial skull of Sahelanthropus, nicknamed 'Toumai', one of the oldest known fossils in the human lineage.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: N'Djamena.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Chad?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Chad on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.