Sudan
Introduction Sudan
------------------
Background: Military dictatorships favoring an
Islamic-oriented government have
dominated national politics since
independence from the UK in 1956.
Sudan has been embroiled in a civil
war for all but 10 years of this
period (1972-82). Since 1983, the
war and war- and famine-related
effects have led to more than 2
million deaths and over 4 million
people displaced. The war pits the
Arab/Muslim majority in Khartoum
against the non-Muslim African
rebels in the south. Since 1989,
traditional northern Muslim parties
have made common cause with the
southern rebels and entered the war
as a part of an anti-government
alliance.
Geography Sudan
---------------
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Red
Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 2,505,810 sq km
water: 129,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than one-quarter the
size of the US
Land boundaries: total: 7,687 km
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 claims: contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in
north; rainy season (April to
October)
Terrain: generally flat, featureless plain;
mountains in east and west
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
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: 7.03%
permanent crops: 0.08%
other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 19,500 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms and periodic persistent
droughts
Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable
water; wildlife populations
threatened by excessive hunting;
soil erosion; desertification;
periodic drought
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: largest country in Africa; dominated
by the Nile and its tributaries
People Sudan
------------
Population: 37,090,298 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 44.2% (male 8,385,554;
female 8,023,847)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 9,945,683;
female 9,933,383)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male
447,214; female 354,617) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.73% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 37.21 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.81 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.26 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 67.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.33 years
female: 58.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 56.22 years
Total fertility rate: 5.22 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.99% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 186,000 (1998)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
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: 46.1%
male: 57.7%
female: 34.6% (1995 est.)
Government Sudan
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Government type: authoritarian regime - ruling
military junta took power in 1989;
government is run by an alliance of
the military and the National
Congress Party (NCP), formerly the
National Islamic Front (NIF), which
espouses an Islamist platform
Capital: Khartoum
Administrative divisions: 26 states (wilayat, singular -
wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr al
Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al
Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah, An
Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash
Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal, Gharb al
Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal,
Gharb Darfur, Gharb Kurdufan, Janub
Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali,
Kassala, Nahr an Nil, Shamal Bahr al
Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal
Kurdufan, Sharq al Istiwa'iyah,
Sinnar, Warab
Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
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
Legal system: based on English common law and
Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991,
the now defunct Revolutionary
Command Council imposed Islamic law
in the northern states; Islamic law
applies to all residents of the
northern states regardless of their
religion; some separate religious
courts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal, but
noncompulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Lt. Gen.
Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16
October 1993); First Vice President
Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17
February 1998), Second Vice
President Moses MACHAR (since 12
February 2001); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head
of government
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 13-23 December
2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
note: BASHIR assumed supreme
executive power in 1989 and retained
it through several transitional
governments in the early and mid-90s
before being popularly elected for
the first time in March 1996
election results: Umar Hasan Ahmad
al-BASHIR reelected president;
percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad
al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed
NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates
received less than a combined 4% of
the vote; election widely viewed as
rigged; all popular opposition
parties boycotted elections because
of a lack of guarantees for a free
and fair poll
cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the president; note -
the National Congress Party or NCP
(formerly the National Islamic Front
or NIF) dominates BASHIR's cabinet
head of government: President Lt.
Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
(since 16 October 1993); First Vice
President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA
(since 17 February 1998), Second
Vice President Moses MACHAR (since
12 February 2001); note - the
president is both the chief of state
and head of government
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (360
seats; 270 popularly elected, 90
elected by supra assembly of
interest groups known as National
Congress; members serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 13-22 December
2000 (next to be held NA December
2004)
note: on 12 December 1999, BASHIR
dismissed the National Assembly
during an internal power struggle
between the president and the
speaker of the National Assembly
Hassan al-TURABI
election results: NCP 355, others 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary
Courts
Political parties and leaders: the government allows political
"associations" under a 1998 law
revised in 2000; to obtain
government approval parties must
accept the constitution and refrain
from advocating or using violence
against the regime; approved parties
include the National Congress Party
or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular
National Congress or PNC [Hassan al-
TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-
government parties
Political pressure groups and National Congress Party [Ibrahim
leaders: Ahmed UMAR]; Popular National
Congress [Hassan al-TURABI]; Umma
[Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Democratic
Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-
MIRGHANI]; National Democratic
Alliance [Muhammed Uthman AL-
MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's
Liberation Movement/Army [Dr. John
GARANG]
International organization ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF,
participation: CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge D'Affairs, Ad
Interim Khidir Haroun AHMED (since
April 2001)
telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the For security reasons, US officials
US: at the US Embassy in Khartoum were
relocated in February 1996 to the US
Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and
Cairo, Egypt, from where they make
regular visits to Khartoum; the US
Embassy in Khartoum is located on
Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue; mailing
address - P. O. Box 699, Khartoum;
APO AE 09829; telephone - [249] (11)
774611 or 774700; FAX - [249] (11)
774137; the US Embassy in Nairobi,
Kenya is located in the Interim
Office Building on Mombasa Road,
Nairobi; mailing address - P. O. Box
30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE
09831; telephone - [254] (2) 751613;
FAX - [254] (2) 743204; the US
Embassy in Cairo, Egypt is located
at (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din
Salah Street, Garden City, Cairo;
mailing address - Unit 64900, APO AE
09839-4900; telephone - [20] (2)
3557371; FAX - [20] (2) 3573200
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red
(top), white, and black with a green
isosceles triangle based on the
hoist side
Economy Sudan
-------------
Economy - overview: Sudan has turned around a struggling
economy with sound economic policies
and infrastructure investments, but
it still faces formidable economic
problems. Starting in 1997 Sudan
began implementing IMF macroeconomic
reforms that have successfully
stabilized inflation. In 1999 Sudan
began exporting crude oil and in the
last quarter of 1999 recorded its
first trade surplus, along with
monetary policy, has stabilized the
exchange rate. Current oil
production stands at 220,000 barrels
per day, of which some 70% is
exported and the rest refined mostly
for domestic consumption. Increased
oil production, revived light
industry, and expanded export
processing zones should maintain GDP
growth at 5% in 2002. Agriculture
production remains Sudan's most
important sector, employing 80% of
the work force and contributing 43%
of GDP, but most farms remain rain-
fed and susceptible to drought.
Sudan is also constrained by its
limited access to international
credit; most of Sudan's $24.9
billion debt remains in arrears. The
civil war, chronic instability,
adverse weather, and weak world
agricultural prices ensure that much
of the population will remain at or
below the poverty line for years.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $49.3
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,360
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43%
industry: 17%
services: 40% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 11 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and
commerce 7%, government 13% (1998
est.)
Unemployment rate: 18.7% (2002 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.)
Industries: oil, cotton ginning, textiles,
cement, edible oils, sugar, soap
distilling, shoes, petroleum
refining, pharmaceuticals,
armaments, automobile/light truck
assembly
Industrial production growth rate: 8.5% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 49.24%
hydro: 50.76%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 1,832.1 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cotton, groundnuts (peanuts),
sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic,
sugarcane, cassava (tapioca),
mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet
potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: oil and petroleum products, cotton,
sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum
arabic, sugar
Exports - partners: Japan 25%, China 19%, Saudi Arabia
14%, Germany 4%, (2000)
Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods,
refinery and transport equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles,
wheat
Imports - partners: China 12%, Saudi Arabia 10%, UK 10%,
Germany 7% (2000)
Debt - external: $24.9 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $187 million (1997)
Currency: Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Currency code: SDD
Exchange rates: Sudanese dinars per US dollar -
261.44 (January 2002), 258.70
(2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55
(1999), 200.80 (1998), 157.57 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Sudan
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 400,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 20,000 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: large, well-
equipped system by 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: satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 7.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997)
Televisions: 2.38 million (1997)
Internet country code: .sd
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2002)
Internet users: 50,000 (2002)
Transportation Sudan
--------------------
Railways: total: 5,995 km
narrow gauge: 4,595 km 1.067-
m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge
plantation line
note: the 1.067-m line from Khartoum
to Port Sudan carries over two-
thirds of Sudan's rail traffic; the
0.600-m gauge system serves Sudan's
cotton plantations with over 120
collecting stations (2001)
Highways: total: 11,900 km
paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (1996)
Waterways: 5,310 km
Pipelines: refined products 815 km
Ports and harbors: Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal,
Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin
Merchant marine: total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 39,545 GRT/51,195 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, roll on/roll
off 2 (2002 est.)
Airports: 65 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 53
under 914 m: 11 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 26
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Sudan
--------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular
Defense Force Militia
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 8,739,982 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 5,380,917 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 398,294 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $581 million (2001 est.)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.5% (1999)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Sudan
--------------------------
Disputes - international: Sudan agrees in 2002 to demarcate
whole boundary with Ethiopia; Egypt
and Sudan each claim to administer
triangular areas which extend north
and south of the 1899 Treaty
boundary along the 22nd Parallel
(the north "Hala'ib Triangle" is the
largest with 20,580 sq km); in 2001,
the two states agreed to discuss an
"area of integration" and withdraw
military forces in the overlapping
areas; since colonial times, Kenya's
administrative boundary has extended
beyond its treaty boundary into
Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle"
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