Tchad Ma Culture

From province to village

How Chad is administered, from province to village: the state (governor, prefect, sub-prefect), the collectivities (province, commune) and chieftaincy (sultan, canton, village). The 23 provinces of 2018 remain the frame; department and sub-prefecture counts have changed since. Cultural areas do not follow these lines.

Two logics sit side by side. Deconcentration stations state officials (governor, prefect, sub-prefect). Decentralisation creates collectivities with legal personality (provinces and communes). Traditional chieftaincy is a customary relay, not an elected collectivity.

The state: administrative units

StateProvince — governorSince ordinance no. 038/PR/2018 of 10 August 2018, Chad has 23 provinces (the former regions, Ennedi already split in 2012). N’Djamena is a province with special status. The governor represents the state. The province is also an autonomous collectivity.Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad · Ordonnance n° 005/PR/2025 déterminant les principes fondamentaux de l’organisation administrative (FAOLEX)
StateDepartment — prefectThe department is an administrative unit, not an elected collectivity. The 2018 ordinance created 95; an ordinance of 4 July 2024 raised the number to 120. N’Djamena’s ten arrondissements each count as a department.Tchadinfos (05/07/2024), Unités administratives : de 95 à 120 départements · Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad
StateSub-prefecture — sub-prefectRestored in 2021, sub-prefectures numbered 454 in July 2024 (422 in May 2022). They bring the state closer to the commune and the canton. The sub-prefect is a state official.Tchadinfos (05/07/2024), Unités administratives : de 95 à 120 départements · Ordonnance n° 005/PR/2025 déterminant les principes fondamentaux de l’organisation administrative (FAOLEX)

Autonomous collectivities

CollectivityCommune (urban or rural)With the province, the commune is an autonomous collectivity: legal personality, budget, mayor. The 2018 ordinance listed 365. Organic law no. 014/CNT/2024 frames these collectivities. The exact number after 2024 still needs a consolidated text.Loi organique n° 014/CNT/2024 portant statuts des collectivités autonomes (FAOLEX) · Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad

Chieftaincy, down to the village

ChieftaincyCanton, tribe, groupingLaw no. 10-013 of 25 August 2010 lists among traditional authorities the sultans, canton and tribe chiefs, and grouping chiefs. They relay the administration and conciliate in civil and customary matters, under the control of administrative-unit heads.Loi n° 10-013 du 25 août 2010 portant statuts et attributions des autorités traditionnelles et coutumières (FAOLEX)
ChieftaincyVillage, neighbourhood, ferrickThe village chief (or ferrick, a pastoral camp) is the tier closest to residents. The same 2010 law places him in the chieftaincy, chosen from the local lineage, under administrative authority. This is where rites, markets and memory are held — see Transmission.Loi n° 10-013 du 25 août 2010 portant statuts et attributions des autorités traditionnelles et coutumières (FAOLEX)

How the map has changed

Independence – 1990s
Independent Chad first inherited 14 prefectures, then a split into departments (28 in 1999).
Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad
2002 – 2012
In 2002, 18 regions replaced the prefectures. Splits raised the number to 22 (2008) then 23 with Ennedi East and Ennedi West (2012).
Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad
10 August 2018
Ordinance no. 038/PR/2018 turned the 23 regions into 23 provinces, with 95 departments and 365 communes at that date.
Wikipédia (en), Administrative divisions of Chad
2021 – 2025
Sub-prefectures restored (2021). In July 2024: still 23 provinces, 120 departments, 454 sub-prefectures. Ordinance no. 005/PR/2025 distinguishes administrative units (province, department, sub-prefecture) from autonomous collectivities (provinces and communes).
Tchadinfos (05/07/2024), Unités administratives : de 95 à 120 départements · Ordonnance n° 005/PR/2025 déterminant les principes fondamentaux de l’organisation administrative (FAOLEX) · Loi organique n° 014/CNT/2024 portant statuts des collectivités autonomes (FAOLEX)

Quick quiz

Pick an answer: the correction and its source appear right away.

Question 1 of 3

How many administrative provinces has Chad had since the 2018 ordinance?

14 prefectures18 regions23 provinces

Sources

For teachers · Presidents and figures · Universities and institutes of Chad · Printable classroom worksheets · The 23 provinces · Passing culture on between generations

Last updated : 7 November 2026