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Sudan
Physical. Sudan is located in Northern Africa bordering the Red Sea,
between Egypt and Eritrea. It covers an area slightly less than one-quarter the
size of the US. The climate is tropical in the south with an arid desert in the
north. The rainy season lasts from April to October. The terrain is generally a
flat plain with mountains in the east and west. Natural resources include
petroleum, small ore reserves, and hydropower.
People. Around 37 million people live in the Sudan. Arabic is the
official language with diverse dialects. The population is black (52%) Arab
(39%) and Beja (6%). Religious practices are mainly Sunni Muslim in the north
(70%) indigenous beliefs (25%) Christian (5% mostly in the south and Khartoum).
Government. Sudan is Africa’s largest country. Apart from an 11-year
period of peace, it has been torn by civil war since its independence in 1956.
The strife is mainly between the mostly Muslim north and the animist and
Christian south. Sudan’s size, great ethnic and religious diversity make
building a sense of national unity difficult. The current regime rules through
massive repression and genocide.
Current president, Omar Bashir was reelected in 2001 for 5 years, but the
elections were boycotted by the main opposition parties. The Machakos Protocol
of July 2002, signed by both the government and the two largest southern rebel
groups, provides for a referendum on self-determination in the south after a
6-year interval. Despite signing, the Muslim-led Sudanese government has
continued to attack southern Christian groups. There is evidence of widespread
enslavement of blacks in the south. The Sudanese government has practiced one of
the largest cases of genocide since Rwanda with thousands killed in 2004. A
peace agreement was signed on January 9, 2005.
With international commitment and support, there is hope for a lasting peace.
However continued civil war is likely unless the international community compels
the government to cease the enslavement of its people, grant self-determination
in the south and cease trying to impose an Islamic state on its religiously
mixed population.
Economy. With the discovery of major oil fields in the south, the
government has attempted to establish safe enclaves for the exploitation of
these oil fields at the cost of relocating the people living in the area. The
funds generated by the oil fields are being used by the government to finance
the war against its peoples in the south.
Although economic potential exists, recent conflicts have left Sudan one of the
poorest nations in the world. Persistent warfare and lack of financing are
blocking needed infrastructure improvement. Displacement of the population,
drought and desertification have also contributed to the crisis.
Areas of Concern. Drought and the desertification are major environmental
concerns for Sudan. A lasting peace with resolution for the people in the south
that curtails enslavement and genocide is absolutely mandatory for Sudan to
improve its economy and quality of life for all its people.
Sudan statistics
Geography
Area: 967,247 square miles
Capital: Khartoum (pop 2,853,000)
Environmental concerns: insufficient potable water; excessive hunting of
wildlife; soil erosion; desertification
Geographical features: generally flat, featureless plain with mountains in the
east and west
Climate: arid desert to tropical
People
37,091,000 people; black (52%); Arab (39%); Beja (6%)
Annual growth rate: 2.73%
Major languages are Arabic; Sudanic language; Nubian; English
Religions: Sunni Muslim (70%); indigenous beliefs (25%); Christian (5%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: men, 56 years; women, 58 years
Infant mortality: 67 deaths per 1000 live births
Much of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 11,300 people
HIV/AIDS rate in adults: 0.99%
46% of adults are literate
Communication and transportation
400,000 main telephone lines
300,000 Internet users (2003)
7,198 miles of highway (much barely usable)
3,425 miles of railroad
65 airfields
75,000 motor vehicles
Government
Sudan’s government is in transition and it first gained independence from Egypt
and the United Kingdom on January 1, 1956
President Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir is both head of state and government
4 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 17
Military
Military expenditures are 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes include civil war and border disputes and clashes with Egypt
and Kenya
Economy
Currency: pounds
Per capita GDP: $1,360
GDP: $ 49.3 billion
GDP growth rate: 5.5%
Inflation rate: 10%
Labor force: 80% agriculture; 13% government; 7% industry and commerce
Resources and industry
Natural resources: petroleum; iron ore; chromium ore; copper; zinc; tungsten;
mica; silver; gold; hydropower
Agriculture: cotton; sesame; gum Arabic; sorghum; millet; wheat; sheep;
groundnuts
Industry: textiles; cement; cotton ginning; edible oils; soap; sugar; shoes;
petroleum refining
Exports: $2.1 billion
Imports: $1.6 billion
Suggested web sites
www.sudan.net
www.sudanhome.com
www.sudmer.com
www.sunanews.net
www.sas.upenn.edu
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