Sarh

Sarh, formerly Fort-Archambault, city, southern Chad, north-central Africa, located on the Chari River. It is named for the dominant ethnic group, the Sara, and is the country’s third largest city.

Its warm and seasonally wet climate permits the cultivation of cotton, Chad’s major export, in the locality. An economically important textile production complex (cotton spinning, weaving, bleaching, and printing) was completed at Sarh in 1967. The city is also a centre for commercial fishing and a major marketplace, with a refrigerated slaughterhouse. Sarh lies on the main road from N’Djamena (capital of Chad) to Bangui (capital of the Central African Republic). The city has an airport, and the Chari River is navigable between Sarh and N’Djamena for much of the year. A hospital, a secondary school, and the National School of Communications (1963) are in the city. Pop. (2009 prelim.) 99,099.