| Faya-Largeau | |
|---|---|
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Faya-Largeau
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Chad |
| Region | Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region |
| Department | Borkou Department |
| Sub-Prefecture | Faya-Largeau |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 14,123 |
| Time zone | +1 |
Faya-Largeau[1] (also known as Faya)[2] is the largest city in northern Chad and the capital of the region of Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti.[3]
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Originally called Faya, the town was renamed Largeau after French Colonel Étienne Largeau;[2] 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.[4] Libya recaptured Faya-Largeau in 1983, but retreated in 1987.[4]
Due to the considerable underground water supply in the town, the main industry is agriculture, while three lakes lie immediately north of Faya-Largeau. The town is serviced by Faya-Largeau Airport (IATA: FYT, ICAO: FTTY)[5] with a paved runway.
| Year | Population[6] |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 9,867 |
| 2008 | 14,123 |
| Climate data for Faya-Largeau | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39 (102) |
43 (109) |
44 (111) |
49 (120) |
49 (120) |
49 (120) |
47 (117) |
46 (115) |
46 (115) |
47 (117) |
39 (102) |
36 (97) |
49 (120) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
32 (90) |
36 (97) |
40 (104) |
44 (111) |
43 (109) |
43 (109) |
40 (104) |
39 (102) |
39 (102) |
33 (91) |
28 (82) |
37.2 (98.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 20.5 (68.9) |
23 (73) |
27 (81) |
30.5 (86.9) |
34 (93) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32 (90) |
31.5 (88.7) |
30.5 (86.9) |
25.5 (77.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
28.50 (83.30) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12 (54) |
14 (57) |
18 (64) |
21 (70) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
22 (72) |
18 (64) |
13 (55) |
19.8 (67.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4 (39) |
7 (45) |
11 (52) |
14 (57) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
16 (61) |
16 (61) |
17 (63) |
12 (54) |
9 (48) |
3 (37) |
3 (37) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
18 (0.71) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
18 (0.71) |
| Source: BBC Weather [7] | |||||||||||||
Located in the Sahara, Faya's climate is classed as hot desert (BWh) on the Köppen climate classification. It experiences hot winters and very hot summers with the peak average maximum temperature reaching 44 °C (111 °F) in May and the average minimum reaching its lowest in January at 12 °C (54 °F). Rainfall averages out at about 0 millimetres (0 in) each month, except August, which receives 18 millimetres (0.71 in). Relative humidity peaks in late summer (66% a.m. in August) and again in winter. It dips in autumn and spring (17% p.m. in April. Despite its low humidity, the temperatures are so high that it is classed as causing "extreme" discomfort between May and September.[8]