Lake Chad

Lake Chad is a large but shallow lake in central Africa. It is located where the countries of Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon meet. The lake was once one of the biggest in Africa. Sadly, it has been shrinking for many years due to dry weather and people using too much water.

A Shrinking Lake

In the 1960s, Lake Chad was about the size of Lake Erie. Since then, it has lost about 90 percent of its water. Less rain and more water being taken for farming are the main reasons. The shrinking lake has caused problems for millions of people who depend on it.

Life Around the Lake

About 30 million people live in the Lake Chad area. They depend on the lake for drinking water, fishing, and watering their crops and animals. Many fish and birds live in and around the lake. People are working on plans to bring more water to the lake.

Fun Facts

• Lake Chad is only about 23 feet deep at its deepest point.
• The lake is named after the country of Chad, which got its name from the lake.
• Lake Chad is a freshwater lake even though it has no river flowing out of it.

Did You Know?

Thousands of years ago, Lake Chad was a giant lake called Mega-Chad that was as large as the Caspian Sea!