Geographical location, EGP, climate, population, economy, natural resources, history of Sudan. Full description of Sudan Which countries does Sudan border?
Sudan on a map of Africa
(all pictures are clickable)
The difficult colonial past had a detrimental effect on the fate of this African country. During the reign of Egypt and Britain, internal borders were drawn without taking into account the ethnic and religious differences of the people living here. The result of ongoing conflicts was the split of the country.
Once the largest country in Africa, it has split into two: Sudan and South Sudan. As politicians often present this situation: Black Africa has decided to secede from the Arab world.
Geographical location
The Republic of Sudan is located in North Africa and has access to the Red Sea. The northeastern border of the country runs along its coast. Ethiopia and Eritrea adjoin its territory to the east. In the north the state borders with Egypt, in the south with South Sudan. To the west, its neighbors are three countries - the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya.
Where the White and Blue Nile unite, the great African Nile River begins its journey. Its valley from south to north crosses the entire territory of the state. Where the three Niles merge together is the capital of the country, Khartoum.
A significant part of the territory of Sudan is an elevated plateau with altitudes from 300 to 1000 m. The northern regions of the country are occupied by the Libyan and Nubian deserts.
Tropical desert climate, in the zone of which is located Sudan, determines the weather in the region. It's always hot and very dry here. Throughout the year, average monthly temperatures fluctuate between +20-30 °C. Only in deserts is there a seasonal difference in temperature. In winter, the thermometer can drop to +4 °C, and in the summer months it can rise to +45 °C. No more than 200 ml of precipitation falls per year in the summer.
A big environmental problem is soil erosion and the onset of desert (desertification).
Flora and fauna
Vegetation cover is also formed in accordance with climatic conditions. Or more precisely, its absence in the northern regions. In deserts, only cereals and dry herbs are found. In rare oases you can see stunted trees, open forests - only in the Nile Valley.
To the south, savannah landscapes appear. Individual acacias, tamarinds, and giant baobabs are scattered across the expanses overgrown with cereal grasses. The mountain slopes along the Red Sea coast are covered with forests.
The fauna of deserts is extremely scarce: several species of reptiles and insects. But savannas are populated by fauna representatives quite densely. Herds of elephants roam here, fleet-footed antelopes and gazelles rush by. They are hunted by lions and leopards. Graceful giraffes observe the picture of life from above.
Crocodiles feel good in the Nile River, and hippos have settled along its banks. The coastal waters of the Red Sea are full of marine life.
State structure
Sudan Map
Like most African countries, Sudan is a republic. The head of state and government is the President. The highest executive body is the Government, the legislative body is the National Assembly. The country's territory is divided into 17 states. There are more than 30 active political parties in Sudan.
Arabic is recognized as the official language. The absolute majority of the population professes Islam (Sunnis). It has its own currency - the Sudanese pound.
Population
Sudan has more than 40.5 million inhabitants. Despite unfavorable economic and political conditions, population growth rates are high. But the average life expectancy is short (about 62 years), and there is a high infant mortality rate.
The population of cities is growing rapidly. More than 50% of residents prefer to settle along the Nile River Valley.
Sudan can be called a multi-ethnic country. In addition to the largest number of Arabs, more than 570 different peoples live here.
Economy
The republic is one of the poorest countries in the world. The state is in dire need of electricity. A huge external debt complicates the economic situation, but the Sudanese are actively seeking to improve the situation. Industry and agriculture are developing, roads and enterprises are being built.
The leading sectors of the economy are:
- food industry;
- light industry;
- mining and manufacturing industry;
- pharmaceuticals;
- production of building materials;
- agriculture.
The impetus for economic development was the beginning of the development of oil fields. Oil production, refining and export bring significant income to the country. Sudan's accession to the WTO is currently being considered.
The territory of Sudan has been inhabited since time immemorial; presumably, 7 thousand years BC people were already living here. In the 4th century BC. e. The kingdom of Kush was formed in the region, and wars with Egypt began over territory. The Egyptian pharaohs who conquered Kush proclaimed Christianity there. But in the 7th century, the territory of the state was captured by Muslim Arabs. They turned the local population into slaves and began to harshly enforce Islam. Already from these times, serious interethnic and religious contradictions began in Sudan.
Europeans appeared in the region only in the 12th century. Britain's mission was aggressive; they supported Egypt's aggressive policies. The local population fought for the right to be a free country. In 1956, it was crowned with success, Sudan was declared an independent state. But internal strife began. The predominantly Christian south did not want to live according to the laws of Islam.
The civil war has not died down to this day. Even after the separation of South Sudan into an independent state, military conflicts continue.
Attractions
Many ancient buildings have been preserved from past centuries. They are the main attractions of the country. The Parliament Building and the Palace of the Republic in Khartoum amaze with their original architecture. The most valuable exhibits, which are several thousand years old, are kept in the Sudanese National Museum.
Catholic cathedrals and mosques in cities deserve attention. Archeology lovers are attracted to excavations of the ruins of ancient cities. Beautiful landscapes and amazingly delicious fruits can also be considered among the attractions of this African country.
Sudan photo
Sudan(Arabic: السودان, English: Sudan), full name: Republic of Sudan (Arabic: جمهورية السودان (Jumhuriyyat al-Sudan), English: Republic of Sudan) is a state in North-East Africa, the largest African state. It borders Egypt in the north, Libya in the northwest, Chad in the west, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo in the southwest, Uganda and Kenya in the south and southeast, and Eritrea and Ethiopia in the east. In the northeast it is washed by the waters of the Red Sea. The capital is the city of Khartoum.
Story
Ancient and Middle Ages
In ancient times, a significant part of the territory of modern Sudan (called Kush, and later Nubia) was inhabited by Semitic-Hamitic and Cushitic tribes related to the ancient Egyptians. The Nubians traded with ancient Egypt and were subject to predatory raids on its part. Descendants of the Nubians still inhabit the Nile Valley in Sudan and neighboring Egypt (south of Aswan). Negroid tribes (Nilotes) also penetrated here from the south - they currently live in the upper and middle Nile basin in Sudan, as well as in the regions of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Ethiopia, and Egypt bordering Sudan.
By the 7th century AD e. Sudan consisted of small scattered Christian kingdoms (Aloa, Mukurra, Nobatia) and possessions. In the 640s, Arab influence began to penetrate from the north, from Egypt. The area between the Nile and the Red Sea was rich in gold and emeralds, and Arab gold miners began to penetrate here. The Arabs brought Islam with them. Arab influence spread mainly to the north of Sudan.
Around 960, an oligarchic state was formed in eastern Nubia, led by the top of the Arab Rabia tribe. Other Arab tribes settled in Lower Nubia, which was annexed by Egypt in 1174. In 1272, the ruler of the state of Dongola, in alliance with the crusaders, attacked Egypt, but was defeated, and in 1275, Dongola became a vassal of Egypt.
In the 16th-18th centuries, independent states existed on the territory of present-day Sudan - the Sultanate of Sennar and the Sultanate of Darfur, which conquered many neighbors. However, by the mid-18th century they had broken up into separate feudal principalities and independent nomadic tribes.
19th century
In 1819-1838, Egypt captured the regions of Dongola, Berber, Kassala, Sennar and Kordofan. In accordance with the firman of the Sublime Porte in 1841, control of these administrative units, called "Egyptian Sudan", was transferred to the Viceroy of Egypt, thus Sudan became part of the Ottoman Empire, but effectively became a possession of Egypt.
The capital of Egypt's Sudanese possessions was the city of Khartoum, founded in 1822. In 1874, Egypt conquered the Darfur region. Advance further south was prevented by tropical swamps. For most of the 19th century, Egypt claimed control over the entire territory of modern Sudan, but in fact the south of the country remained a place inhabited by scattered Nilotic tribes (Negroids), subject to frequent raids by Arab slave traders.
In the second half of the 19th century, British influence increased in Sudan. An Englishman became the Governor-General of Sudan. Brutal exploitation and national oppression led to the emergence of a powerful popular protest movement with a religious orientation. Religious leader Muhammad ibn Abdullah proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" (messiah) in 1881 and attempted to unite the tribes of western and central Sudan against the Ottomans. The revolt ended with the capture of Khartoum in 1885 and the expulsion of European, Turkish and Egyptian officials from the country. The leader of the uprising soon died, but the state he created, headed by Abdallah ibn al-Said, lasted another fifteen years, and only in 1898 the uprising was suppressed by Anglo-Egyptian troops.
On January 19, 1899, Great Britain and Egypt signed an agreement establishing joint governance in Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian condominium) - south of the 22nd parallel. But this agreement did not clearly outline the contours of the relationship between the two governments. Secondly, it did not provide a legal basis for the continued British presence in Sudan - the British ruled there on behalf of the Khedive. The supreme military and civil administration in the Sudan was transferred to the Governor-General - an officer who was appointed and dismissed by the Khedive with the consent of the London government. Each Sudanese province was assigned a governor (mudir), two inspectors and several district commissioners. Almost all of these posts were filled by British officers seconded to the Egyptian army, but then (from 1901) civilian officials began to arrive in the country. Middle-level officials were Egyptians, and lower-level officials were representatives of the local Sudanese population. At first, the British administration ruled quite freely, but in 1910 an Executive Council was created under the Governor General, whose consent was required in all legislative and budgetary matters. It included an inspector general, civil, judicial and financial secretaries and 2-4 other British officials appointed by the governor general.
XX century
After the end of the First World War, British colonialists set a course to transform Sudan into a cotton-producing country. In 1924, construction of the Kassala-Port Sudan railway was completed, and in 1929 it was extended to Sennar. A national bourgeoisie began to form in Sudan.
The British administration, in order to strengthen its power, in particular, encouraged the ethnic and political separatism of the population of the Sudanese south, who adhere to traditional beliefs and profess Christianity. Thus, the preconditions were laid for future ethnic and religious conflicts.
In 1921, an officer of the 9th Sudanese battalion, the son of a slave from the Dinka tribe, Ali Abd al-Latif, created the first political organization - the Sudanese Society of United Tribes, which demanded independence. She released a manifesto calling on the Sudanese for an armed uprising.
During the Second World War, in June 1940, the Italian army, operating from the territory of Abyssinia, occupied part of the territory of Sudan, but already in 1941 the Italians were forced to leave, and Sudan became an important base for the British Armed Forces in Africa. Military units recruited from the local population took part in hostilities in Eritrea, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.
Participation in the war had positive consequences for Sudan - the growth of national industry, the intensification of political life, the emergence of political parties, trade unions, and strengthening aspirations for independence.
On October 15, 1951, the Egyptian Parliament approved a law terminating the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 and the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement of 1899, and the Egyptian King Farouk was proclaimed King of Egypt and Sudan.
Independence period
Egypt, after the July Revolution of 1952, recognized the right of the Sudanese people to self-determination. In November 1953, elections to the Sudanese parliament were held, and in 1954 a government of transitional self-government was created. In August 1955, the Sudanese parliament decided to permanently terminate the condominium, and in the same year, British and Egyptian troops were withdrawn from Sudan.
The central government in Khartoum, in which Muslims occupied key positions, refused to fulfill promises of a federal state, which led to a mutiny by southern officers and a civil war that lasted from 1955 to 1972.
During this time, the country experienced several military and coups d'etat (in 1958, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1985), but successive regimes were unable to cope with the problems of separatism, ethnic disunity and economic backwardness.
See also: October Revolution in Sudan.
In 1983, after the central government introduced Sharia law in the South, the civil war between the South and the North resumed. The rebels united into the Sudan People's Liberation Army, led by former Sudanese army colonel John Garang.
After another coup on June 30, 1989, Colonel Omar Hassan al-Bashir came to power and holds it to this day. As a political support, he chose the then unpopular National Islamic Front party, which proclaimed a course towards building a truly Islamic society, headed by Hassan Abdallah Turabi, known for his fundamentalist views.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the country has been intensively pursuing the Islamization of life, a process that stopped only at the beginning of the 21st century, when Turabi and Bashir disagreed and the former went into opposition. Bashir is the president and head of state, prime minister and commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. Elections are expected to be held in February 2010, but it is considered unlikely that this initiative will come to fruition.
In foreign policy, Sudan followed a nationalist, pro-Arab and pro-Islamic course. In 1956, Sudan supported Egypt during the Suez Crisis. During the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, Sudan declared war on Israel and sent military units to help Egypt. After Bashir came to power in the country, Sudan professes a pragmatic policy, but is inclined to cooperate with radical Islam and conservative Arab regimes.
In 1991, at the invitation of the spiritual leader of Sudan's Islamic fundamentalists, Turabi, Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden arrived in the country. In 1996, he was forced to leave Sudan and move his organization to Afghanistan.
South Sudan
The signing of the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972 led to the end of the civil war between the warring North and South and the provision of a certain autonomy to the South in matters of internal governance.
The lull lasted about ten years, after which the armed conflict was resumed by the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The reason for this was the policy of Islamization of the country, within which in 1983 the then President Jafar Nimeiri divided the southern province of Equatoria into three separate provinces, and some types of punishments provided for by Sharia law were introduced into the country's criminal legislation (such as stoning, public flogging and cutting off hands).
According to American estimates, in the two decades since the resumption of armed conflict in southern Sudan, government forces have killed about two million civilians. As a result of periodic droughts, famine, fuel shortages, expanding armed confrontation in the south of the country, and violations of human rights, more than 4 million southerners were forced to leave their homes and flee to cities or neighboring countries - Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt. Refugees are deprived of the opportunity to engage in agriculture or otherwise earn a living, suffer from malnutrition and poor nutrition, and are deprived of access to education and health care. The many years of civil war led to the emergence of the so-called “lost generation.”
Peace negotiations between the rebels of the South and the government in 2003-2004 yielded tangible results, but armed clashes continue in a number of southern regions. In January 2005, the parties agreed that upon reaching a final peace agreement, South Sudan would enjoy autonomy for 6 years, after which the question of the independence of this territory would be put to a referendum. During this period, oil revenues will be divided equally between the government and the rebels. Observers, however, question the government's ability and willingness to fulfill its obligations.
On May 27, 2010, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir promised to hold a referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan as scheduled, in January 2011.
Conflict in Darfur
Meanwhile, at the beginning of 2003, an uprising broke out, now in the west of the country, in the Darfur region. There are at least two rebel groups in the region, differing in their approach to the goals of the struggle - simply achieving independence or overthrowing the central Khartoum government. Both government troops and rebels accuse each other of atrocities. Most of the allegations relate to the actions of the pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias. According to existing estimates, from 10 to 30 thousand people from the local black population died at their hands. Ethnic cleansing led to about a million people fleeing the conflict zone and taking refuge in neighboring Chad.
The Darfur region is inhabited by representatives of various nationalities, which in principle can be combined into two groups - black Africans and Arab tribes that have inhabited the region since approximately the 13th century. Both profess Islam, but relations between the two ethnic groups have been tense for many centuries and have led to regular armed clashes. Until the 20th century, Darfur was a center of the slave trade, with black and Arab slave traders competing with each other to raid the neighboring Bahr el Ghazal region to capture slaves for resale to coastal Africa. Ethnic groups conflicted among themselves and over limited land and water resources.
The reason for the modern conflict was an agreement between Khartoum and the rebels of the South on the division of revenues from oil production. The black population of Darfur believes that their economic interests were not taken into account in the agreement.
On August 23, 2004, multilateral negotiations began in Nigeria to resolve the Darfur crisis.
Border conflict with Egypt
There is a dispute between Sudan and Egypt over the ownership of the so-called. "Halaib Triangle". In 1899, Britain and Egypt declared Sudan their condominium. The country's northern border was established along the 22nd parallel, and the city of Halaib formally went to Egypt. In 1902, England unilaterally changed the border, transferring the “triangle” to Sudan. On November 12, 1955, Sudan gained independence. In 1958, Egypt captured the Halaib region. Then the “triangle” was given to Sudan for use. In 1992, Sudan caused extreme discontent in Egypt by giving the coast of the “triangle” to the concession of the Canadian oil company International Petroleum Corporation. In 1993-1994, armed clashes occurred on the border of Egypt and Sudan. In 1995, Egypt sent troops to the region and took control of all disputed lands, with the exception of the city of Halaib. In 2000, Sudan withdrew its troops from Halaib, and the lands were completely under Egyptian control. In August 2002, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir told the press that he had sent a request to the UN Security Council to review the ownership of the lands, since the “Halaib Triangle” is Sudanese territory.
State structure
Republic. The interim constitution of 2005 is in force. The head of state and government is the president.
The parliament is bicameral - the Council of States (50 seats, elected by state governments for a 6-year term) and the National Assembly (450 seats, appointed by the president in 2005 - 360 seats filled: 355 from the presidential National Congress party and 5 non-party members).
On April 11-15, 2010, presidential and parliamentary elections were held. Omar Hassan al-Bashir (68.24%) was declared the winner of the presidential election. The results of the parliamentary elections will be announced later.
Administrative division
Administratively, Sudan is divided into 26 states (Arabic: wilayats), sometimes also called provinces:
Geographical features
Most of the territory of Sudan is occupied by a plateau (altitude 300-1000 meters), which is crossed from south to north by the valley of the Nile River, formed by the confluence of the White and Blue Nile. The confluence area contains the country's capital, Khartoum. All rivers belong to the Nile basin. They are used as sources of irrigation, natural waterways, and also contain significant reserves of hydroelectric power.
In the north of the country there are the Libyan and Nubian deserts, almost devoid of vegetation (those deserts contain dry grasses and cereals, rare trees, semi-deserts and oases). In the center of the country there are savannas and river woodlands. In the south there are tropical and equatorial forests. To the east and west there are mountains. The highest point in Sudan is Mount Kinyeti (3187 meters above sea level).
In the south the climate is tropical, in the north it is hot desert. The main environmental problems are soil erosion and desertification.
Population
Population: 41.98 million (estimated as of July 2010).
Annual growth - 2.15%.
Fertility is 4.4 births per woman.
Infant mortality is 78 per 1000.
Average life expectancy is 51.6 years for men, 53.5 years for women.
Urban population - 43%.
Literacy - 71% men, 50% women (2003 estimate).
Ethno-racial composition - blacks (Nilotes, Nubians) 52%, Arabs 39%, Beja (Cushites) 6%, other 3%.
Languages: Arabic and English official, Nilotic languages, Nubian, Beja.
Religions - Sunni Muslims 70%, Christians 5%, aboriginal cults 25%.
Economy
Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. The main income comes from agriculture and oil production. The country's industry is poorly developed.
Until the second half of 2008, Sudan's economy grew rapidly (GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006 and 2007) - thanks to increased oil production (with high oil prices) and large foreign investments. Sudan began exporting oil at the end of 1999.
Agriculture remains a significant sector of Sudan's economy, accounting for 80% of workers and almost a third of GDP.
GDP per capita in 2009 was $2.3 thousand (181st place in the world). Below the poverty level - 40% of the population (in 2004). The unemployment rate is 18.7% (in 2002). Inflation - 14.3% (in 2008).
Industry - oil production and refining, cotton processing, textiles, agricultural products processing, footwear, car assembly.
Agriculture - cotton, peanuts, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugar cane, cassava (tapioca), mango, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes; sheep, cows, goats are raised; fishing.
Foreign trade
Export - $11.7 billion (in 2008) - oil and petroleum products; cotton, livestock, peanuts, gum arabic, sugar.
The main buyers are China 48%, Japan 32.2%, Indonesia 5.3%.
Imports - $8.2 billion (in 2008) - food, industrial goods, vehicles, medicines and chemical products.
The main suppliers are China 20.3%, Saudi Arabia 8.5%, UAE 6.3%, Egypt 5.6%, India 5.1%, Italy 4.1%.
Member of the international organization of ACP countries.
External debt - $36.3 billion (at the end of 2009).
Since January 2007, Sudan has introduced a new currency - the Sudanese pound (instead of the Sudanese dinar - 100 dinars = 1 pound), the exchange rate is 2.6 pounds per 1 dollar (in 2010).
Transport
A characteristic feature of highways is that most of them do not have a hard surface and are therefore impassable during the rainy season. The length of asphalt roads is 4.6 thousand km. Traditional types of transport have been developed - pack transportation of goods, carrying of goods by porters. Navigation on the Nile River is carried out over a distance of 3.7 thousand km. Air travel - Khartoum International Airport.
The length of the railway network is 4.7 thousand km. (see Rail transport in Sudan)
The largest seaport is Port Sudan.
Current events
September, 2004
On September 9, Khartoum announced the discovery of a coup attempt allegedly supported by Eritrea, as a result of which 33 members of the opposition People's Party were detained, who “were planning acts of sabotage to destabilize the situation in Sudan and overthrow the ruling regime.” At the same time, the Sudanese National Alliance (an opposition group based in eastern Eritrea) decided to voluntarily lay down its arms and return former militants and refugees to the country.
Sudan- a state in northeast Africa, is the largest on the African continent. It borders on Egypt in the north, Eritrea and Ethiopia in the east, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the south, and the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya in the west. In the east it is washed by the Red Sea.
The country's name comes from the Arabic Bilyad es-Sudan, which means "land of the blacks".
Capital
Square
Population
36080 thousand people
Administrative division
The state is divided into 9 states.
Form of government
Republic.
Head of State
President.
Supreme legislative body
National Assembly.
Supreme executive body
Government.
Major cities
Omdurman, North Khartoum, Port Sudan.
State language
Arab.
Religion
70% are Sunni Muslims, 25% are pagans, 5% are Christians.
Ethnic composition
49% are African, 39% are Arab, 8% are Nubian, 3% are Beja.
Currency
Sudanese dinar = 10 pounds = 100 piastres.
Climate
The climate in the north of Sudan is tropical, desert, in the south it is equatorial monsoon. Seasonal temperature differences are most noticeable in desert areas - from + 4C in the winter months to + 43 °C in the summer. During the year, only 200 mm of precipitation falls in the north, and 500-1400 mm in the south.
Flora
Sudan is partly covered by the Libyan and Nubian deserts, where vegetation is practically absent. Several species of acacia grow in the regions adjacent to the Nile. In the central part of the country there are extensive forests - ebony, baobab, papyrus, rubber trees, and oil palm grow here.
Fauna
The tropical regions of South Sudan are home to a large number of representatives of the animal world - crocodile, hippopotamus. There are also giraffe, leopard, lion, and various monkeys. There are several species of tropical birds and poisonous snakes.
Rivers and lakes
The largest rivers are the Nile and its two branches - the White Nile and the Blue Nile.
Attractions
In Khartoum - the parliament building and the Palace of the Republic, the National Museum of Sudan, the Museum of Natural History, the Ethnographic Museum, dilapidated pyramids. In Omdurman - the house of the Caliph.
Useful information for tourists
The people living in Sudan are extremely friendly, welcoming and not intrusive. Near almost every dwelling you will be invited, offered food, tea, overnight accommodation and everything else that a traveler might need on the road. In Sudan uva-; positive attitude towards foreigners, and especially towards Russian speakers.
Sudanese north of Khartoum live in clay, rectangular, one-story houses with several rooms inside; These houses and the courtyard are fenced with a low clay fence. In the south, small round clay houses with a cone-shaped roof are built. As a rule, there is no courtyard or fence around such houses.
You can also meet nomadic Bedouins living in houses with thatched walls and ceilings. Such houses are the poorest.
Useful information for tourists about Sudan, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Sudan, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of Sudan.
Geography of Sudan
The Republic of Sudan is a state in Northeast Africa. It borders Egypt in the north, Libya in the northwest, Chad in the west, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo in the southwest, Uganda and Kenya in the south and southeast, and Eritrea and Ethiopia in the east. In the northeast it is washed by the waters of the Red Sea.
Most of the territory is a vast plateau with an average height of 460 m above sea level. In the north there is a desert zone (sandy Libyan and sandy-rocky Nubian deserts, occupying about 30% of the country's territory). Mountains stretch along the shores of the Red Sea and the borders with Uganda and Ethiopia. The highest point is Mount Kinyeti (3187 m).
State
State structure
Sudan is a republic. The head of state and government is the president. The parliament is bicameral - the Council of States and the National Assembly.
Language
Official language: Arabic, English
Arabic is spoken mainly in the northern part of Sudan (it is also used by the Nubians, who have their own language). The people of southern Sudan speak more than 100 languages. English is widely used as a means of international communication.
Religion
More than 70% of the population are Sunni Muslims, about 25% of Sudanese adhere to traditional African beliefs (animalism, fetishism, cult of ancestors, forces of nature, etc.), 5% are Christians.
Sudan is a state with an area of 1 million 862 thousand square meters. km. It is located in the northeastern part of the African continent. The capital of the country is Khartoum. Sudan neighbors Ethiopia and Eritrea in the southeast, South Sudan in the south, and Egypt in the north. In the southwest there is the border with the Central African Republic, in the northwest - with Libya. The country's western neighbor is Chad. The northeastern lands of Sudan are washed by the Red Sea. Most of the territory is occupied by a plateau up to 1000 meters high.
Population of Sudan
The country is home to about 31 million people. The majority (70%) are Arabs, Cushites (Beja) - 6%, Nubians - 5%.
Nature of Sudan
The northern lands of the state are occupied by deserts: Libyan and Nubian, which are characterized by some cereals and herbs, and there are dry trees. In the center and south of the country, closer to the rivers of the Nile basin, open forests and shrub savannas grow. There are mountain ranges in the east and west. On the territory of Sudan, ebony, papyrus, rubber trees, baobab, and oil palms are common. Leopards, giraffes, lions, monkeys, snakes live near water bodies and in open forests, some are poisonous species.
Climatic conditions
The southern territories of Sudan are dominated by a subequatorial climate. The north is dominated by a hot desert climate. Desert areas are characterized by sharp temperature changes: up to +4°C in winter and up to +42°C in mid-summer.
Language
Officially, Sudan has two official languages - Arabic and English; the population uses common dialects, of which there are about 100 in the country.
Kitchen
The most popular product in Sudan is rice. Neither everyday nor formal dinners are complete without it. Lamb, goat, beef, chicken or lamb are prepared as a meat treat. Vegetables and fruits are certainly served at the table in large quantities. Particularly popular are “kebabs” and “kalavi” - aromatic and satisfying dishes. In Sudan they drink a lot of strong, sweet coffee and tea.
Religion
The majority of the population of Sudan are followers of the Islamic religion, in particular, the Sunni movement - 95%, Christians in the country - just over 1%, adherents of African cults - about 3%.
Holidays
January 1 is Independence Day in Sudan. The most important holidays for the Sudanese are Ramadan and the Prophet's Birthday; their dates are tracked according to the lunar calendar. The day off in the state is Friday, except in some areas where there are more Christians (where the day off is Sunday).
Currency of Sudan
The country's currency is the Sudanese pound (code SDG).
Time
Sudan is an hour behind Moscow in time.
Main resorts of Sudan
The most popular resort in Sudan is Port Sudan, located on the Red Sea coast. Luxury hotels provide a full range of services and entertainment. In sea waters you can go diving, go water skiing and catamaran, go fishing, and go to a water amusement park. An excellent holiday is possible at resorts located near the Nile and the rivers of its basin, for example, in Khartoum, Wad Medani, Abtar, where normal living conditions are provided and interesting excursion routes are provided.
Sights of Sudan
In the capital, the greatest interest of tourists is the Ethnographic Museum with a unique exhibition dedicated to the way of life of a traditional Sudanese village. The National Museum displays valuable archaeological artifacts, including figurines, frescoes and writing samples. The National Records Department houses the oldest manuscripts and documents. It is worth visiting the Natural History Museum, the Palace of the Republic, and the Parliament building.
The capital's suburb of Omdurman has preserved its ancient architecture; just visiting its luxurious mosques can captivate you for the whole day. You can see the pearl of Africa, the Nile, from a bird's eye view in the Al Mogran Memory Park. The complex is located at the point where the Blue and White Nile merge. Lovers of natural wonders will not be left indifferent by the Sabaloka Canyon near the river of the same name, where the water does not evaporate even in the hottest months.
