Chad is the landlocked country whose capital is N’Djamena and whose north lies within the Sahara Desert.
The country occupies a large area of north-central Africa. Its landscapes range from the Sahara in the north to the Sahel belt in the centre and more wooded savanna in the south. N’Djamena stands near the Chari River, opposite Cameroon’s city of Kousséri.
Chad is named after Lake Chad, a shallow freshwater lake in the western part of the country. The lake is shared with Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria, and its size changes greatly with rainfall and seasonal inflows. The Tibesti Mountains rise in northern Chad, including Emi Koussi, the highest point in the Sahara.
Niger and Mali are reasonable alternatives because both are Saharan or Sahelian landlocked states. N’Djamena, however, identifies Chad specifically.