N'Djamena, population 594,000 (1996), is the capital of Chad. A port on the Chari River, the city is primarily an administrative center. It is also a regional market for livestock, salt, dates, and grains. Meat processing is the chief industry. In addition to being the national captial, it is also the capital of Chari-Baguirmi prefecture.

N'Djamena was founded as Fort-Lamy by the French in 1900. Its name was changed to N'Djamena in 1973. It was partly sacked in the civil war of the late 1970s.

The city lies across the Chari River from Cameroon to which it is linked by a bridge. It is the largest city in the nation and is divided into the Nassara Strip commercial centre and the residential areas of Chagoua , Paris Congo and Moursal .

Attractions in the city include the Chad National Museum . It has schools of administration and veterinary medicine and an international airport.