Sudan is the largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile river and its tributaries.

• Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
• Border Countries: Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Uganda 435 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Libya 383 km
• Area: 2.5m sq km (966,757 sq miles)
• Area - Comparative: slightly more than one-quarter of the size of the USA
• Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
• Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Red Sea 0 m, highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
• Climate: tropical in the south; arid desert in the north; rainy season between April to October
• Natural Resources: petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

• Population: 40,187,486 (July 2005 estimate)
• Nationality: noun: Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: Sudanese
• Major Languages: Arabic; English, tribal languages
• Ethnic Groups: African 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
• Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (mostly in the north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in the south and Khartoum)
• Life expectancy: 54 years (men), 57 years (women) (UN sources)

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• Country Name:
  - Conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
  - Conventional short form: Sudan
  - Local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
  - Local short form: As-Sudan
• Capital: Khartoum
• Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
• National Holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
• Sudan's administrative structure*: Sudan is a republic with a federal system of government. There are multiple levels of administration, with 26 states (Wilayaat) subdivided into approximately 120 localities (Mahaliyaat). These localities are supported by popular committees (Lijan Shabiyaat), which are responsible for local development.

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY:

• President: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir
• First Vice-President: Salva Kiir Mayardit
• Vice President: Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha
• Assistants to the President:
  - Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie
  - Mr Minni Minnawi was appointed Senior Assistant to the President (following the Darfur Peace Agreement)
  - Mr. Musa Mohamed Ahmed was appointed Assistant to the President (following the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement)

For detailed information on the GNU and the Federal Ministers (Cabinet Ministers), click here »»

According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) leader will form the government of Southern Sudan and the government of the southern states. For a full list of Southern States' governors, click here »»

*Southern Sudan will have: The Government of Southern Sudan and ten states, each of which will have an executive and a legislative assembly.

POLITICAL PARTIES:

During three periods of civilian rule in the Sudan (1956-1958; 1964-1969 and 1986-1989), political parties proliferated. After the military takeover in June 1989 all political parties were banned, but registration opened up again in 1999 when a new law covering political parties came into force.

The main parties are:

• The National Congress Party, currently the ruling party, which has its roots in the National Islamic Front, an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt in the 40's
• The Umma Party, the political organization of the Islamic Ansar Sect. The party is led by Sadiq al-Sidiq Abdel Rahman al-Mahdi, who served as Prime Minister in all coalition governments between 1986 and 1989
• The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), based on the Khatmiyyah sect, led by Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani who is also the leader of the National Democratic Alliance, a loose coalition of political parties, labour unions and individuals who oppose the ruling party
• The Popular National Party (PCP) which was created by Hassan al-Turabi in June 2000 after his expulsion from the National Congress
• In Southern Sudan, the Sudan People'S Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) dominates. There are several parties representing the interests of Southern Sudanese in Northern Sudan. These include the Union of Sudan African Parties (USAP) and the United Democratic Salvation Front (UDSF)
• There are a number of smaller religious, pan-Arabist and progressive parties, including the Communist Party of the Sudan, the Baath Party, the Republican Brothers and the Justice Party
• Regional alliances include the Federal Alliance which is led by a former governor of Darfur; the United Sudan National Party, an amalgamation of parties representing the Nuba Mountains; and the Beja Congress which represents Eastern Sudan

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• Economy - Overview: Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound 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 macroeconomic reforms of the International Monetary Fund. 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 6.4% in 2004. Agriculture 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 - including the long-standing civil war, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - ensure that much of the population remain at or below the poverty line
• Labor Force - by Occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 estimate)
• Agriculture - Products: 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
• Main exports: Oil, cotton, sesame, livestock and hides, gum
• Currency: Sudanese Dinar (SDD)
• GNI per capita: US $370 (World Bank, 2002)
• Monetary unit: 1.00 USD = 2.03 SDG (Sudanese Pounds)

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- Print:

• Al-Ra'y al-Amm - widely-distributed, privately-owned newspaper
• Al-Ayam - long-established newspaper
• Khartoum Monitor - privately-owned
• Al-Khartoum - privately-owned
• Al-Anbaa - government newspaper

- Television:
Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation (SNBC) - government-run, operates two channels, also available via satellite

- Radio:

• Sudan National Radio Corporation - government-run, national and regional networks in Arabic, English and several other languages Opposition and clandestine radios
• Voice of Sudan - operated by opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), broadcasts on short wave
• Voice of Hope - weekly broadcast by New Sudan Council of Churches, produced at studios in Uganda and the Netherlands and transmitted via Radio Netherlands relay station in Madagascar
• Voice of Freedom and Renewal - operated by armed opposition group Sudan Alliance Forces News agency

- Internet:
Internet services were introduced in 1997. There were some 300,000 internet users by 2003 (International Telecommunication Union source).

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