Sarh (), formerly known as Fort Archambault (), is the capital of the Moyen-Chari Region and the capital of the Department of Barh Köh in Chad.
History
The city was founded as Fort Archambauld by the colonial authorities of
French Chad, then part of French Equatorial Africa, for returnees from the
associated with the construction of the Congo-Ocean Railway. A significantly large textiles complex was constructed by the French in Fort Archambauld in 1967.
It was renamed to Sarh in 1972 during François Tombalbaye's authenticité campaign.[Bernard Lanne, Répertoire de l'administration territoriale du Tchad, 1900-1994, L'Harmattan, Paris, p. 163 ]
The residents of Sarh suffered a meningococcal meningitis epidemic in 1990.
Geography
Sarh is located on the
Chari River, southeast of the capital city N'Djamena. It was named after the
Sara people of southern Chad.
[ Britannica Online Encyclopedia]
It is the third largest city in Chad, after N'Djamena and Moundou.
Climate
Like other parts of southern Chad and the East Sudanian savanna, Sarh has a typical tropical savanna climate (Köppen
Aw), with a wet season and a dry season and the temperature being hot year-round. The average annual high temperature is , while the average annual low temperature is . The hottest time of year is from March to May, just before the wet season starts. March has the highest average high at , while the highest average low is in April. August has the lowest average high at , while December has the lowest average low at .
Sarh receives of rain over 86 precipitation days, with a distinct wet and dry season like most tropical savanna climates. December receives no precipitation at all, with almost no rain falling from November to March. August, the wettest month, receives of rainfall on average. August also has 18 precipitation days on average, which is the most for any month. Humidity is much higher in the wet season than the dry season, with February having a humidity at 29% and August having a humidity at 82%. Sarh receives 2737.3 hours of sunshine annually on average, with the sunshine being distributed fairly evenly across the year, although it is lower during the wet season. December and January receive the most sunshine, while July receives the least.
Economy
Sarh is now a major transport hub. It is served by the
Sarh Airport (IATA airport code SRH).
It is a center for the cotton industry, due to its warm and seasonally wet climate. It is also an important center for commercial fishing in the Chari River.
The city is known as a center of nightlife in the region. Attractions in the city include the Sarh National Museum.
Demographics
Education
Sarh is home to various educational institutions:
High schools
Lycées−
include:
-
Lycée Ahmed Mangué (public)
-
Lycée-Collège Charles Lwanga (private, Catholic)
-
Lycée-Collège Humanité (private, Baptist)
Universities
-
IUSAES—Institut Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques et de l'Environnement de Sarh — a tertiary college, established in 1997.
-
University of Sarh — a public university, established in 2010
-
ISMEA—Institute of Science of Management and Economic Applied — founded by NGOs, established in 2008.
Twin towns—Sister cities
Sarh is twinned with:
-
Cherbourg-Octeville, France (since 2001)
Notable people
See also
