Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a vast, landlocked nation situated in the heart of the Sahel region of Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. With an area of 1,284,000 km², Chad is one of the largest countries in the region. The population is estimated at approximately 16.4 million people, with the capital and largest city, N'Djamena, serving as the primary urban center.