Faya-Largeau (also known as Faya, or فايا) is the largest city in northern Chad and was the capital of the region of Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti. It is now in the Borkou Region, which was formed in 2008 from the Borkou Department of the former Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region.
History
Originally called
Faya, the town was renamed
Largeau after French Colonel Victor Emmanuel Largeau;
upon Chadian independence from France, it assumed the name
Faya-Largeau. The town was captured by
Libya when Libya annexed the
Aouzou Strip in 1975, but was retaken by Hissène Habré's forces in 1980.
Libya recaptured Faya-Largeau in 1983, but retreated in 1987 during the so-called
Toyota War.
Economy
Due to the considerable underground
water supply in the town, the main economic activities are
agriculture and
natron mining. The town is serviced by Faya-Largeau Airport
with a paved runway, used almost exclusively by military airplanes.
Demographics
Climate
Faya-Largeau has a hot desert climate typical of the
Borkou Region lying on the heart of the
Sahara Desert. Average maximum temperatures in Faya-Largeau are consistently over from April to September, reaching a maximum of in June. The coolest months are December and January with an average maximum temperature of . Annual precipitation averages only and generally only occurs from June to September, although some years have no rainfall at all. The sunshine duration is one of the highest found in the world with some 3,800 hours of bright sunshine annually, and every month receives an average sunshine duration above 290 hours.
Notable people
-
Idriss Ndélé Moussa, dentist, academic, and politician
See also
External links