Lake Chad

This article is about the lake in Africa. For the lake in Antarctica, see Lake Chad (Antarctica).

Lake Chad
بحيرة تشاد (Arabic) Sádǝ (Kanuri) Lac Tchad (French)
Lake Chad in 2018
Lake Chad Location within Chad Lake Chad Location within Cameroon Lake Chad Location within Niger Lake Chad Location within Nigeria Lake Chad Location within Africa
Location	Sahelian zone at the conjunction of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger
Coordinates	13.099°N 14.533°E / 13.099; 14.533
Primary inflows	Chari River, Yobe River, Ngadda River
Primary outflows	Bahr el-Ghazal
Basin countries	Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger
Surface area	2,000 km2 (770 sq mi)
Max. depth	2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Islands	Bogomerom Archipelago
Settlements	Bol, Chad Abadam, Nigeria Baga, Nigeria N'guigmi, Niger Bosso, Niger Makary, Cameroon
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Lac Tchad
Designated	17 June 2001
Reference no.	1072
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Partie tchadienne du lac Tchad
Designated	14 August 2001
Reference no.	1134
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Lake Chad Wetlands in Nigeria
Designated	30 April 2008
Reference no.	1749
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Partie Camerounaise du Lac Tchad
Designated	2 February 2010
Reference no.	1903

Lake Chad (Arabic: بحيرة تشاد, Kanuri: Sádǝ, French: Lac Tchad) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of 1,000,000 km² (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish- producing areas in Africa.

Lake Chad is divided into deeper southern parts and shallower northern parts. The lake's main source of water is the Chari River which has many tributaries. The water level varies greatly seasonally, and the area of the lake also changes dramatically. In the 19th century, it still had an area of 28,000 km² (11,000 sq mi). However, due to climate change and human water diversion, the lake shrunk significantly between 1960 and 1990, the open water area decreasing from 25,000 km² in 1960 to just 2000 km² in 1980. The lake is now no longer estimated to be shrinking, as rainfall recovery has partially occurred. Despite the stabilisation of the lake's water volume, Lake Chad is still under threat from climate change.