Background: Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic political and social domination of largely non-Muslim non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than four million people displaced and according to rebel estimates more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January 2011 and indicated overwhelming support for independence. A separate conflict which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003 has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union in December 2007. Peacekeeping troops have struggled to stabilize the situation which has become increasingly regional in scope and has brought instability to eastern Chad. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict poor transport infrastructure and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,861,484 km²
Rank: 16
Land: NA
Water: NA
Comparative: slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Land boundaries
Total: 6,751 km
Border countries: (7) Central African Republic 175 km; Chad 1360 km; Egypt 1275 km; Eritrea 605 km; Ethiopia 769 km; Libya 383 km; South Sudan 2,184 km
Note: Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 18 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Terrain: generally flat featureless plain; desert dominates the north

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m

Natural resources: petroleum; small reserves of iron ore copper chromium ore zinc tungsten mica silver gold; hydropower

Land use
Arable land: NA
Permanent crops: NA
Other: NA

Irrigated land: 18,630 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 154 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Geography
Note: dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Population: 45,047,502
Rank: 29
Note: includes the population of South Sudan (8,260,490); demographic data includes South Sudan (July 2011 est.)
Growth rate: 2.484% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 27
Below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Sudanese
Adjective: Sudanese

Ethnic groups: Sudanese Arab (approximately 70%) Fur Beja Nuba Fallata

Languages: Arabic (official) English (official) Nubian Ta Bedawie Fur
Note: program of 'Arabization' in process

Religions: Sunni Muslim small Christian minority

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.1%
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 12,282,082/female 12,571,424)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 613,817/female 596,559) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.5 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 18.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.484% (2011 est.)
Rank: 27

Birth rate: 36.12 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 25

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 38

Net migration rate: -0.29 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 127

Urbanization
Urban population: 40% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 68.07 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 21
Male: 68.77 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 67.34 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.42 years
Rank: 197
Male: 54.18 years
Female: 56.71 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.84 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 24

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.28 physicians/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 143

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2008)
Rank: 162

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 45
People living with hivaids: 260,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 22
Deaths: 12,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 23

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria dengue fever African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 31.7% (2006)
Rank: 15

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 61.1%
Male: 71.8%
Female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 4 years

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
Conventional short form: Sudan
Local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
Local short form: As-Sudan
Former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Government type: Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); the NCP which came to power by military coup in 1989 is the majority partner; the agreement stipulated national elections in 2009 but these were subsequently rescheduled; elections took place in April 2010 and the NCP was elected as the majority party; due to the CPA stipulations there is also an autonomous government in Southern Sudan where SPLM holds the majority of positions.

Capital
Name: Khartoum
Geographic coordinates: 15 36 N 32 32 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 15 states (wilayat singular - wilayah); Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea) Al Jazira (Gezira) Al Khartoum (Khartoum) Al Qadarif (Gedaref) An Nil al Abyad (White Nile) An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile) Ash Shimaliyya (Northern) Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur) Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur) Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan) Kassala Nahr an Nil (River Nile) Shimal Darfur (Northern Darfur) Shimal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan) Sinnar
Note: the Sudanese Government has announced the creation of two new states Central Darfur and East Darfur but they are not yet operational

Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 January (1956)

Constitution: Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005
Note: under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement the Interim National Constitution was ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan was signed December 2005

Legal system: mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law in the north and primarily customary law in the south

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR ; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet
Elections: election on 11-15 April 2010; next to be held in 2015
Election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 68.2% Yasir ARMAN 21.7% Abdullah Deng NHIAL 3.9% others 6.2%
Note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state chairman of the RCC prime minister and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996

Legislative branch: bicameral National Legislature consists of a Council of States (50 seats; members indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms) and a National Assembly (450 seats; 60% from geographic constituencies 25% from a women's list and 15% from party lists; members to serve six-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11-15 April 2010 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 323 SPLM 99 PCP 4 DUP 4 UFP 3 URRP 2 DUPO 2 SPLM-DC 2 other 7 vacant 4

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Unionist Party or DUP [Hatim al-SIR]; Democratic Unionist Party-Original or DUPO; National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Malik AGGAR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Democratic Change or SPLM-DC; Umma Federal Party or UFP; Umma Renewal and Reform Party or URRP

International organization participation: ABEDA ACP AfDB AFESD AMF AU CAEU COMESA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OIC OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Emad Mirghani ALTOHAMY
In the us chancery: 2,210 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 338-8,565
In the us fax: [1] (202) 667-2,406
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Robert E. WHITEHEAD
From the us embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Street Khartoum
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 699 Khartoum; APO AE 9,829
From the us telephone: [249] (183) 774,700 through 704
From the us fax: [249] (183) 774,137

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; colors and design based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I but the meanings of the colors are expressed as follows: red signifies the struggle for freedom white is the color of peace light and love black represents Sudan itself (in Arabic 'Sudan' means black) green is the color of Islam agriculture and prosperity

National symbols: secretary bird

National anthem
Name: 'Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan'
Lyricsmusic: Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN
Note: adopted 1956; the song originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military

Economy overview: Since 1997 Sudan has been working with the IMF to implement macroeconomic reforms including a managed float of the exchange rate and a large reserve of foreign exchange. A new currency the Sudanese Pound was introduced in January 2007 at an initial exchange rate of $1.00 equals 2 Sudanese Pounds. Sudan began exporting crude oil in the last quarter of 1999 and the economy boomed on the back of increases in oil production high oil prices and significant inflows of foreign direct investment until the second half of 2008. The Darfur conflict the aftermath of two decades of civil war in the south the lack of basic infrastructure in large areas and a reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture ensure much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years to come despite rapid rises in average per capita income. Sudan's real GDP expanded by 5.2% during 2010 an improvement over 2009's 4.2% growth but significantly below the more than 10% per year growth experienced prior to the global financial crisis in 2006 and 2007. While the oil sector continues to drive growth services and utilities play an increasingly important role in the economy with agriculture production remaining important as it employs 80% of the work force and contributes a third of GDP. In the lead up to the referendum on southern secession which took place in January 2011 Sudan saw its currency depreciate considerably on the black market with the Central Bank's official rate also losing value as the Sudanese people started to hoard foreign currency. The Central Bank of Sudan intervened heavily in the currency market to defend the value of the pound and the Sudanese government introduced a number of measures to restrain excess local demand for hard currency but uncertainty about the secession has meant that foreign exchange remains in heavy demand.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 70
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 71

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 184
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 44.6%
Industry: 45.3%
Services: 10.2% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton groundnuts (peanuts) sorghum millet wheat gum arabic sugarcane cassava (tapioca) mangos papaya bananas sweet potatoes sesame; sheep and other livestock

Industries: oil cotton ginning textiles cement edible oils sugar soap distilling shoes petroleum refining pharmaceuticals armaments automobile/light truck assembly

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 106

Labor force: 11.92 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 42
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry: 7%
By occupation services: 13% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: 18.7% (2002 est.)
Rank: 162

Population below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $11.32 billion
Expenditures: $13.35 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 98

Taxes and other revenues: 16.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 179

Public debt: 105.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 14

Inflation rate consumer prices: 11.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 211

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 11% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 98

Stock of narrow money: $7.19 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 77

Stock of broad money: $12.63 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 91

Stock of domestic credit: $11.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$4.232 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 172

Exports: $8.473 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 82
Commodities: oil and petroleum products; cotton sesame livestock groundnuts gum arabic sugar
Partners: China 68.3% Japan 12.6% India 5.8% (2010)

Imports: $8.528 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 93
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactured goods refinery and transport equipment medicines and chemicals textiles wheat
Partners: China 21.7% Egypt 8% Saudi Arabia 7.7% India 6.1% UAE 5.7% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $897 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 118

Debt external: $35.72 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 63

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 4.323 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 117
Consumption: 3.787 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 120
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 127
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 132
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 181
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 186
Proven reserves: 84.95 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 57

Telephones
Main lines in use: 374,700 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 107
Mobile cellular: 17.654 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 47

Telephone system
General assessment: well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially with wide coverage of most major cities
Domestic: consists of microwave radio relay cable fiber optic radiotelephone communications tropospheric scatter and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
International: country code - 249; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) 1 Arabsat (2000)

Broadcast media: the Sudanese Government directly controls TV and radio requiring that both media reflect government policies; TV has a permanent military censor; a private radio station is in operation (2007)

Internet
Country code: .sd
Hosts: 70 (2010)
Hosts rank: 207
Users: 4.2 million (2008)
Users rank: 56

Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 45

Military service age and obligation: 18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory and voluntary military service; 1-2 year service obligation; a requirement that completion of national sevice was mandatory before entering public or private sector employment has been cancelled (2011)

Airports: 116 (2011)
Rank: 52
With paved runways total: 17
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2011)
With unpaved runways total: 99
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 46
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 37 (2011)

Heliports: 5 (2010)

Pipelines: gas 156 km; oil 4,070 km; refined products 1613 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 5,978 km
Rank: 30
Narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2010)

Roadways
Total: 11,900 km
Rank: 131
Paved: 4,320 km
Unpaved: 7,580 km (2000)

Waterways: 4,068 km (1723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2008)
Rank: 25

Merchant marine
Total: 2
Rank: 144
By type: cargo 2 (2010)

Ports and terminals: Port Sudan

Disputes international: the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring states; as of 2006 Chad Ethiopia Kenya Central African Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda provided shelter for over half a million Sudanese refugees which includes 240,000 Darfur residents driven from their homes by Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military forces; as of January 2011 Sudan in turn hosted about 138,700 Eritreans 43,000 Chadians and smaller numbers of Ethiopians; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia proceed slowly due to civil and ethnic fighting in eastern Sudan; Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republic

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 162,000 (Eritrea); 43,000 (Chad); 11,009 (Ethiopia)
Idps: more than 4 million (civil war 1983-2005; ongoing conflict in Darfur region) (2007)