from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Sudan
Introduction
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 4 million people displaced and,
according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million
deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained
momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several
accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of January 2005
granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years,
after which a referendum for independence is scheduled
to be held. A separate conflict that broke out in the
western region of Darfur in 2003 has resulted in at
least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million displaced; as
of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to
stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large
refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily
Ethiopia and Chad, and armed conflict, poor transport
infrastructure, and lack of government support have
chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian
assistance to affected populations.
Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt
and Eritrea
Geographic 15 00 N, 30 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 2,505,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km
water: 129,810 sq km
Area - slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
comparative:
Land total: 7,687 km
boundaries: border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km,
Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km,
Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km,
Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season
varies by region (April to November)
Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far
south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Elevation lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Natural petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium
resources: ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 6.78%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 93.05% (2005)
Irrigated 18,630 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
hazards:
Environment - inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife
current populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil
issues: erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and
note: its tributaries
People
Population: 41,236,378 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.3 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.55% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 34.53 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 58.92 years
expectancy at male: 57.69 years
birth: female: 60.21 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 2.3% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 400,000 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 23,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African
trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in
some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
Nationality: noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudanese
Ethnic groups: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%,
Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)
Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects
of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
note: program of "Arabization" in process
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1%
male: 71.8%
female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Government
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 Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National
type: 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 stipulates national
elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.
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 25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil
divisions: (Upper Nile), Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat
(Lakes), Al Jazirah (El Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum),
Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah (Unity), An Nil al
Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash
Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal),
Gharb al Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al
Ghazal (Western Bahr al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western
Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur), Janub Kurdufan
(Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei), Kassala
(Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal
(Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern
Darfur), Shamal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al
Istiwa'iyah (Eastern Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab
(Warab)
Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
holiday:
Constitution: 12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April
1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended
following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution
implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12
December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA,
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005;
Constitution of Southern Sudan signed December 2005
Legal system: based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20
January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command
Council imposed Shari'a law in the northern states;
Shari'a law applies to all residents of the northern
states regardless of their religion; some separate
religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations; the southern legal system is still
developing under the CPA following the civil war;
Shari'a law will not apply to the southern states
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Executive chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR
branch: (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva
KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman
TAHA (since 20 September 2005); 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); First Vice President
Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali
Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of
government
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 last held 13-23 December 2000; next
to be held no later than July 2009 under terms of the
2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected
president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad
al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three
other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%;
election widely viewed as rigged; all popular
opposition parties boycotted elections because of a
lack of guarantees for a free and fair election
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 bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and
branch: Council of States (replaced unicameral National
Assembly of 360 seats); pending elections and National
Election Law, the Presidency appointed 450 members to
the National Assembly according to the provisions of
the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28%
SPLM; 14% other Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2
representatives from every state constitute the Council
of States; terms in each chamber are five years
following the first elections
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be
held 2008-2009 timeframe)
election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by
appointments under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement
Judicial Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme
branch: Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national
courts; National Judicial Service Commission will
undertake overall management of the National Judiciary
Political political parties in the Government of National Unity
parties and include: National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed
leaders: OMAR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM
[Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of the National
Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the
Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI]
and Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]
Political Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or
pressure PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]
groups and
leaders:
International ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO,
organization G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA,
participation: IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires, Ad Interim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)
in the US: chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires Cameron HUME
from the US: embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum
mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829
telephone: [249] (183) 774701
FAX: [249] (183) 774137
note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service
for Khartoum; consular services are being established
in Juba (southern Sudan)
Flag three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
description: black with a green isosceles triangle based on the
hoist side
Economy
Economy - Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound
overview: economic policies and infrastructure investments, but
it still faces formidable economic problems, starting
from its low level of per capita output. From 1997 to
date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic
reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and
in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade
surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has
stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production,
revived light industry, and expanded export processing
zones helped sustain GDP growth at 8.6% in 2004.
Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important
sector, employing 80% of the work force, contributing
39% of GDP, and accounting for most of GDP growth, but
most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought.
Chronic instability - resulting from the long-standing
civil war between the Muslim north and the Christian/
pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world
agricultural prices - ensure that much of the
population will remain at or below the poverty line for
years.
GDP $85.89 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $22.75 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 38.7%
composition by industry: 20.3%
sector: services: 41% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 7.415 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 80%
by occupation: industry: 7%
services: 13% (1998 est.)
Unemployment 18.7% (2002 est.)
rate:
Population 40% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 9% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 16.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $6.182 billion
expenditures: $5.753 billion; including capital
expenditures of $304 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: 107% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat,
products: 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
Industrial 8.5% (1999 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 3.165 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 52.1%
production by hydro: 47.9%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 2.943 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 401,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 70,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 275,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved 1.6 billion bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 84.95 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $-3.013 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $6.989 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock,
commodities: groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
Exports - China 71.1%, Japan 12%, Saudi Arabia 2.8% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $5.028 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport
commodities: equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%,
partners: Japan 5.1%, India 4.8% (2005)
Reserves of $2.45 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $27.34 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $172 million (2001)
recipient:
Currency Sudanese dinar (SDD)
(code):
Currency code: SDD
Exchange Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 243.61 (2005), 257.91
rates: (2004), 260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 670,000 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.828 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: large, well-equipped system by
system: regional standards and being upgraded; cellular
communications started in 1996 and have expanded
substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable,
radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter,
and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 249; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
(2000)
Radio AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 7.55 million (1997)
Television 3 (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 2.38 million (1997)
Internet .sd
country code:
Internet 16 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 2.8 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 88 (2006)
Airports - total: 15
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - total: 73
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 37
under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 156 km; oil 3,930 km; refined products 1,613 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m
gauge for cotton plantations (2005)
Roadways: total: 11,900 km
paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (1999)
Waterways: 4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue
Nile rivers) (2005)
Merchant total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1
registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi
Arabia 1) (2006)
Ports and Port Sudan
terminals:
Military
Military Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air
branches: Force, Popular Defense Force
Military 18-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
service age conscript service obligation - three years (August
and 2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 8,291,695
available for females age 18-49: 8,135,683 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 5,427,474
for military females age 18-49: 5,649,566 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 442,915
reaching females age 18-49: 426,320 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $587 million (2001 est.) (2004)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 3% (1999) (2004)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel
international: militia fighting since the mid-twentieth century have
penetrated all of its border states that provide
shelter for fleeing refugees and cover to disparate
domestic and foreign conflicting elements; since 2003,
Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military have
driven about 200,000 Darfur region refugees into
eastern Chad; large numbers of Sudanese refugees have
also fled to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Central
African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo; southern Sudan provides shelter to Ugandans
seeking periodic protection from soldiers of the Lord's
Resistance Army; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting
Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous
boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by civil and
ethnic fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative
boundary extends into the southern Sudan, creating the
"Ilemi Triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to
administer triangular areas that extend north and south
of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel,
but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is
economically developing the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of
the Treaty Line; periodic violent skirmishes with
Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights
persist among related pastoral populations from the
Central African Republic along the border
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 110,927 (Eritrea) 5,023
internally (Chad) 7,983 (Uganda) 14,812 (Ethiopia)
displaced IDPs: 5,300,000 - 6,200,000 (internal conflict since
persons: 1980s; ongoing genocide) (2005)
Trafficking in current situation: Sudan is a source country for men,
persons: women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
forced labor and sexual exploitation; Sudan may also be
a transit and destination country for Ethiopian women
trafficked for domestic servitude; boys are trafficked
to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys; small numbers
of girls are reportedly trafficked within Sudan for
domestic servitude, as well as for commercial sexual
exploitation in small brothels in internally displaced
persons (IDP) camps; the terrorist rebel organization
"Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) continues to abduct and
forcibly conscript small numbers of children in
Southern Sudan for use as cooks, porters, and
combatants in its ongoing war against Uganda; some of
these children are then trafficked across borders into
Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the
Congo; children are utilized by rebel groups and the
Sudanese Armed Forces and associated militias in the
ongoing conflict in Darfur; during the decades of civil
war, thousands of Dinka women and children were
enslaved by members of Baggara tribes and subjected to
various forms of forced labor without remuneration, as
well as physical and sexual abuse; with the cessation
of the North-South conflict and the ongoing peace
process, there were no known new abductions of Dinka by
Baggara tribes during 2005; however, inter-tribal
abductions of a different nature continue in Southern
Sudan and warrant further investigation
tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do
so