Avenue Charles de Gaulle
Encyclopedia
Avenue Charles de Gaulle is one of the main streets and principal commercial
avenue
of N'Djamena
, the capital of Chad
, which is named after former French
president Charles de Gaulle
. It runs in a roughly west-east direction through the city. The western end of the road is the commercial district and the location of many foreign embassies and colonial-era buildings The avenue is one of the areas of the city where shopping is concentrated in, including the area near the Grande Mosquée, and includes bars, restaurants and markets. The western end of the avenue is part of the area of the city known as the 'European Quarter' and is regarded as a place for the wealthy.
. The road then heads in a southerly direction, passing through the Point de la Garde roundabout
( 12°07′18.17"N 15°02′03.19"E ), and from here to the Point du Sultan Kasser roundabout (12°06′47.28"N 15°02′10.77"E) are some of the larger buildings of the city. (Not to be confused with the similarly named Avenue General de Gaulle running close by to the south.) The avenue then turns south-east, passing the Palais de Justice, N'Djamena cathedral and Plaza de la liberation on the south side and Camp Militaire des Martyrs on the north, before turning to an easterly direction passing between the Grande Mosquée and the Grand Marché (the central market and the historic centre of the city, around 12°06′35.13"N 15°03′00.86"E ). It then heads east through the Paris Congo residential area and towards other residential areas of the city.
The General Services office compound of the US embassy is located there. Also is the Financial Bank Tchad and Nigerian embassy. The west end of the avenue houses high walled villas where many expatriates live.
The avenue has wholesale stores which are serviced by carts to supply them, on a 1 kilometres (1,093.6 yd) route from customs on the way from Kousseri
, Cameroon
.
program under the presidency of François Tombalbaye
, including the city itself (formerly Fort Lamy), the avenue was described as an exception to this in 1974. However, a 1986 map shows what is now the Avenue Charles de Gaulle labelled with three different names "Avenue du President Tombalbaye", "Rue du Sultan Mohamed Ouradah" and "Rue de la Mosquee".
In 1981 there was much damage to buildings along the street due to machine gun fire. The street was the site of destroyed cars and damage from the Battle of N'Djamena (2008)
in February 2008. At this time the avenue was also cut off by heavy weaponry and was said to be severely affected.
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
avenue
Street name
A street name or odonym is an identifying name given to a street. The street name usually forms part of the address...
of N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
, the capital of Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, which is named after former French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
president Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. It runs in a roughly west-east direction through the city. The western end of the road is the commercial district and the location of many foreign embassies and colonial-era buildings The avenue is one of the areas of the city where shopping is concentrated in, including the area near the Grande Mosquée, and includes bars, restaurants and markets. The western end of the avenue is part of the area of the city known as the 'European Quarter' and is regarded as a place for the wealthy.
Route
The western end of the avenue is at the intersection with Route de Farcha, near the N'Djamena International AirportN'Djamena International Airport
N'Djamena International Airport , serves N'Djamena, Chad, and is the main international airport of Chad.The airport is dual use, with civilian and military installations on opposite sides of the single runway.- Military base :...
. The road then heads in a southerly direction, passing through the Point de la Garde roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
( 12°07′18.17"N 15°02′03.19"E ), and from here to the Point du Sultan Kasser roundabout (12°06′47.28"N 15°02′10.77"E) are some of the larger buildings of the city. (Not to be confused with the similarly named Avenue General de Gaulle running close by to the south.) The avenue then turns south-east, passing the Palais de Justice, N'Djamena cathedral and Plaza de la liberation on the south side and Camp Militaire des Martyrs on the north, before turning to an easterly direction passing between the Grande Mosquée and the Grand Marché (the central market and the historic centre of the city, around 12°06′35.13"N 15°03′00.86"E ). It then heads east through the Paris Congo residential area and towards other residential areas of the city.
The General Services office compound of the US embassy is located there. Also is the Financial Bank Tchad and Nigerian embassy. The west end of the avenue houses high walled villas where many expatriates live.
The avenue has wholesale stores which are serviced by carts to supply them, on a 1 kilometres (1,093.6 yd) route from customs on the way from Kousseri
Kousséri
Kousséri is a city in Far North Province, Cameroon, lying on the border with Chad, across the Chari River from N'Djamena. It is the capital of the Logone-et-Chari department. It is a market town, and its population has recently been swollen by refugees from Chad. It had a population of 89,123 at...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
.
History
While many formerly French street names in Chad were Africanized during the AuthenticitéAuthenticité
Authenticité was the name given to the Chadian president François Tombalbaye's attempt to remove foreign influence and promote southern Chadian culture throughout Chad during the 1970s...
program under the presidency of François Tombalbaye
François Tombalbaye
François Tombalbaye, also called Ngarta Tombalbaye , was a teacher and a trade union activist who served as the first president of Chad. He was born in the southern region of the country in the Moyen-Chari Prefecture near the city of Koumara and was of the Sara ethnic group, the prominent ethnicity...
, including the city itself (formerly Fort Lamy), the avenue was described as an exception to this in 1974. However, a 1986 map shows what is now the Avenue Charles de Gaulle labelled with three different names "Avenue du President Tombalbaye", "Rue du Sultan Mohamed Ouradah" and "Rue de la Mosquee".
In 1981 there was much damage to buildings along the street due to machine gun fire. The street was the site of destroyed cars and damage from the Battle of N'Djamena (2008)
Battle of N'Djamena (2008)
The Battle of N'Djamena began on February 2, 2008 when Chadian rebel forces opposed to Chadian President Idriss Déby entered N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, after a three-day advance through the country. The rebels were initially successful, taking a large part of the city and attacking the heavily...
in February 2008. At this time the avenue was also cut off by heavy weaponry and was said to be severely affected.
