Religion

The two main religions in Chad are Islam and Christianity. About 30% of people are Christians, who are mainly found in the south and among those with formal education. About half of the population is Muslim, with a concentration in the northern and eastern regions of the country. Another 20 percent, mostly in the south, practice traditional religions, the majority of which are obscure. Traditional local beliefs and cults are significant across the board, frequently in tandem with one's loyalty to the Islamic or Christian faith. Ancestor worship, faith in particular spirits, the use of oracles and divination, and concepts of cosmic equilibrium and fertility are essential. Unlike, say, central or southern Africa, "witchcraft" talk is less common in the Chad.

The communal-religious relationships between Christians and Muslims have always been marked by mutual tolerance and collaboration, notwithstanding the southerners' associations of Islam with slave raids and brutality. In Chad's civil wars, religious animosities didn't matter much at all. The character of Islam in Chad is likewise highly diverse. Islamist "fundamentalist" movements do not have a solid foundation in Chad, though there are a few organizations of this kind. Both Christian and Islamic missionary organizations are active in Chad. Although conversion is a continuous process, using pressure or force is not acceptable. Traditional faiths play a very small part in society compared to Christianity and, particularly, Islam, which are much more prevalent.