N’djaména

Introducing N’djaména

You’ll face stark contrasts between modern and traditional at every step in N’Djaména. Thanks to Chad’s rural exodus the capital is growing fast – from a population of 37,000 in 1950 it is expected to be home to nearly two million within a decade – but it still often feels more like a village than a city with mud houses remaining the norm and farmers working the banks of the Chari River. The country’s only large city buzzes at night, both literally and figuratively, as hundreds of generators take the strain off the city’s beleaguered power grid and feed the sound systems of some of Central Africa’s most vibrant bars.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009