Chad 24°E. Chad is bounded to the north by Libya, to the east by Sudan, to the west by Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, and to the south by the Central African Republic. The country's capital is from the nearest seaport, Douala, Cameroon. Because of this distance from the sea and the country's largely desert climate, Chad is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa". The dominant physical structure is a wide basin bounded to the north and east by the Ennedi Plateau and Tibesti Mountains, which include Emi Koussi, a dormant volcano that reaches above sea level. Lake Chad,
Rail transport in Chad Imperial expansionist policy known as Mittelafrika. In the 1950s a line through Chad from Port Sudan to Nigeria was proposed but opposed by Chad governmental organisations. In 1958 plans for a line from Cameroon the "Société Civile d'Études du Chemin de Fer Douala-Tchad" (SEDOT) was formed, and continued planning led to start of construction in 1964 - the line was constructed as far as Ngaoundéré in Cameroon (the Trans-Cameroon Railway, completed 1975.). Initial plans were for an extension to Moundou in Chad, but this was not completed. In 1959 a multinational agency, the "Agence Transéquatoriale des Communications" (ATEC) was formed