Administrative divisions of Chad

The administrative divisions of Chad have often changed since 1900, when the territory was first created by France as part of its colonial empire, with the name "Territoire Militaire des pays et protectorats du Tchad" [S. Decalo (1987); "Historical Dictionary of Chad", 2 ed. Metuchen: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1937-6, pp. 8, 309.] . The first subdivision took place in 1910, when 9 circonscriptions were made, named "départements" (departments) in 1935 and "régions" (regions) in 1947. As for the regions, they were further divided in districts.B. Lanne (1998); "Histoire politique du Tchad de 1945 à 1958", Karthala. ISBN 2-86537-883-7fr icon, pp. 11-12]

In 1960, immediately before independence, the "régions" became "préfectures" (prefectures), and the districts instead "sous-prefectures" (sub-prefectures). The prefectures were in origin 11, later on raising to 14. [S. Decalo, pp. 30-32] In 1999 they were modified in 28 departments; this was ultimately changed in 2002, when 18 regions replaced them.Statoids.com, [http://www.statoids.com/utd.html Regions of Chad] ] As for the regions, they are divided in departments, while the latter are divided in sub-prefectures. Due to a series of splits in 2008, the regions have currently been raised to 22. [Ordonnance n° 002/PR/08 portant restructuration de certaines collectivités territoriales décentralisées]

History

On September 5 1900 a decree signed by the French President Émile Loubet officially created the "Territoire militaire des pays et protectorats du Tchad" as part of the growing French colonial empire. The new territory was placed under the command of a Commissioner who awnsered to the High Commissioner of the French Congo (called French Equatorial Africa (AEF) after 1910), of which Chad was a circuscription.B. Lanne, pp. 9-11]

In 1906 Chad was merged with the Oubangui-Chari, becoming an autonomous territory within the "Oubangui-Chari-Tchad" colony, suppressed in 1916. In 1920 Chad was placed on an equal standing with the other AEF colonies (i. e. Gabon, Oubangui-Chari and Middle Congo).

It was only in 1958, when Chad was granted territorial autonomy, that the country was separated from the AEF. [B. Lanne, p. 9] Two years later Chad was to come full independence under the government of François Tombalbaye and of the Chadian Progressive Party. [S. Decalo, p. 10]

1910 - 9 Circumscriptions

The first Governor-General of French Equatorial Africa, Martial Merlin, built in 1910 for all the colonies he administered a two levels structure. Chad was divided in 9 "circonscriptions" (circumscriptions), with Fort-Lamy (today N'Djamena) as capital; two years later, as an underdivision of the regions, the "subdivisions" were introduced.B. Lanne, pp. 11-12] The Mayo-Kebbi circumscription disappeared in 1911 when the left bank of the Logone River was ceded to the German colony of Kamerun as part of the exchange for the French protectorate over Morocco. the area was retaken by France in World War I, and some years later, in 1922, the circumscription was restored and given back to Chad. On the other side Moyen-Chari was part of Oubangui-Chari from 1925 to 1933. [S. Decalo, p. 214] [J. Le Cornec (1963); "Histoire politique du Tchad de 1960 à 1962", Librairie générale de droit et jurisprudencie.fr icon, pp. 33-35]

In 1914 a new circumscription was added with Borkou-Ennedi, renamed Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti in 1930 when the Tibesti was passed from Niger to Chad.

ee also

*Departments of Chad
*Prefectures of Chad
*Regions of Chad
*Sub-prefectures of Chad

References