Country Information on Sudan 

Terrain

Sudan can be divided into three geographical regions: the desert in the north, which covers around 30% of the country's total surface area; the semi-desert Sahel in central Sudan; and the forests and swamps of the Sudd in the far south. Sudan's most important river is the Nile with its two tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join at Khartoum. Part of the Libyan Desert stretches into Sudan in the north-west, and part of the Nubian Desert is in the north-east. The central plain is surrounded by the Red Sea Hills in the east, the Djebel Marra in the west, and by the Imatong Mountains in the south. The country's highest peak is Mt. Kinyeti (3,187 m) in the south-east.

Climate

Sudan has a tropical climate. Temperatures in the desert areas fluctuate greatly, often varying between freezing point at night and 40°C during the day. Since rain does not fall often, the country experiences periods of drought and famine. On the whole, the annual average temperature is around 27°C to 29°C. However, temperatures are higher in the south, where annual average precipitation reaches 1,000 mm. Dust and sand storms, known as the "Habubs", plague the country during the summer.

Fauna/Flora

Vegetation varies between savannah in central Sudan, and the desert in the north. The largest forested areas can be found in the south and along the rivers. Many trees and plants are found, such as acacias, baobabs, mahogany trees, rubber trees, papyrus shrubs, and castor-oil plants. The country's fauna is mainly found in the south, where there are crocodiles, hippopotamuses, giraffes, leopards, various monkey species, migratory birds, reptile species and insects such as the tsetse fly.

History/Politics

Not much is known about the early history of Sudan, other than that the region was an Egyptian province up to the time of the decline of ancient Egyptian culture in the 8th century BC. Shortly afterwards, the "waterfall kingdoms" of Nobatia, Dongola and Alodia were established and dominated the region for more than 2000 years. Mameluks destroyed the kingdoms of Dongola and Alodia between the 15th and 16th centuries. The Islamic Kingdom of Sennar was established. It became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1820. The decades that followed saw the Egyptians conquer and unify the area, resulting in significant political and religious tension.

Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself Mahdi (messiah and restorer of the Muslim faith) in 1881 and took a stance against Egyptian rule. He succeeded in defeating the Egyptian Army in November 1883 and January 1885, took Khartoum and established the first national government there. Abdallah al-Taaishi succeeded Ahmad and was defeated in a military attack launched by Egypt, Great Britain and France in 1898. In January 1899, Great Britain and Egypt signed an agreement establishing the Egyptian-British condominium of Sudan to be administered as a British colony.

The following decades were marked by unsuccessful attempts by the Sudanese people to bring an end to British rule. The agreement of 1899 was eventually reconfirmed by Egypt and Great Britain in 1936. In the face of Egyptian attempts to annex Sudan, Great Britain implemented its "closed districts policy" which prevented communication between the north and the south of the country. After lengthy negotiations and a number of attempts to reach a political solution, Sudan became independent on 1 January 1956 and the first entirely Sudanese parliament was elected. Ibrahim Abbud organised a coup in 1958 and declared himself prime minister. Troops from the south of the country ousted him in 1964 with the aim of gaining more political influence.

Another coup in 1969 brought General Gaafar al-Nimeiry to power, who became the country's first president after he had restored order. He was confirmed in office for the third time in 1983 and implemented measures that sparked strong protest in the southern part of the country. The imposition of Muslim sharia law led to another uprising of separatist movements throughout the country and an armed conflict. In 1985, Nimeiry was ousted by Sadiq al-Mahdi, who was in turn ousted by Omar Ahmad al-Bashir. Despite all his efforts to find a solution, the following decade was dominated by armed conflict and famine. In 2001, al-Bashir had to declare a state of emergency. The following year saw the beginning of peace talks, and in January 2005, the government finally signed a peace treaty with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

Economy

Sudan's economy has been weakened by civil war, great political instability, poor weather conditions, high foreign debt, and a counterproductive economic policy. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, producing goods for subsistence and export. The main agricultural commodities are cotton, peanuts, sugar cane and sesame. Industry mainly concentrates on the processing of agricultural products. Furthermore, the textile and chemical industries are important for the country's economy. Around 80% of the country's work force works in agriculture. The inflation rate was 10.3% in 2003, while unemployment reached 18.7%.

Culture

People in the north live according to the rules of Islam and dress conservatively. Men wear the Galabiyya (a long toga) and turban; women's heads and bodies are covered by a finely woven tobe worn over the toga. Decorative facial scarification (with its symbolic meaning differing from group to group) is a tradition practiced by both sexes and people of both African and Arab descent. Some of the main Muslim holidays are Mohammed's birthday, Islamic New Year and the end of Ramadan.