Republic of the Sudan National name: Jamhuryat es-Sudan Government: Military government. Geography: The Sudan, in northeast Africa, is the largest country on the continent. Its neighbors are Chad and the Central African Republic on the west, Egypt and Libya on the north, Ethiopia and Eritrea on the east, and Kenya, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo on the south. The Red Sea washes about 500 mi of the eastern coast. It is traversed from north to south by the Nile, all of whose great tributaries are partly or entirely within its borders. Area: 967,493 sq mi (2,505,810 sq km) Population (2003 est.): 38,114,160 (growth rate: 2.7%); birth rate: 36.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 65.6/1000; density per sq mi: 39 Capital (2003 est.): Khartoum, 5,717,300 (metro. area), 1,397,900 (city proper) Largest cities: Omdurman, 2,103,900; Port Sudan, 450,400 Monetary unit: Dinar Languages: Arabic (official), English, tribal dialects Ethnicity/race: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1% Religions: Islam (Sunni) 70%, indigenous 20%, Christian 5% Agriculture: cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock. Industries: oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly. Natural resources: petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower.
LINKS >> Sudanese National Democratic Alliance