The Republic of Chad is a landlocked country in central Africa. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa".
From 1920 to 1960, Chad was a French possession as part of the French Equatorial Africa. During World War II, the government of Chad pointedly supported the government of Free France led by Charles de Gaulle over the Vichy France goverment of Philippe Pétain, which insured strong ties between the two entities until independence.