The Republic of Sudan is also known as the Sudan and North Sudan (South Sudan gained independence in 2011 and is its own country). With 46% of people under the poverty line, there is a lot of hardship in this country.
There have been many conflicts in the Sudan, over the years, that have left many people dead due to war, famine, and disease. Women have very few rights in this country.
Human rights groups have spoken out against atrocities against people of other faiths or beliefs. There are some interesting archeological sites in the Sudan and also a variety of wildlife to experience in natural areas.
Sudan Facts
1
The estimated population of the Sudan is 41,160,965.
2
The nominal GDP of the Sudan is $115,874 billion, and the nominal per capita GDP is $2,841.
3
The government in the Sudan is a dominant-party federal semi-presidential republic.
4
The official languages in the Sudan are Arabic and English.
5
The total area of the Sudan is 728,215 square miles (1,886,068 square kilometers).
6
The currency of the Sudan is the Sudanese pound.
7
People drive on the right side of the road in the Sudan.
8
The Sudan has a 530-mile (853 km) coastline bordering the Red Sea.
9
The countries bordering the Sudan by land, are Libya, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
10
97% of the Sudan’s population are followers of Islam, and most of them follow the Sunni form of Islam.
11
The nominal GDP of the Sudan is $115,874 billion, and the nominal per capita is $2,841.
12
There are 12 holidays in the Sudan.
13
The flag of the Sudan has a green triangle based at the hoist, and the rest of the flag is three thick horizontal stripes of (from the top) red, white, and black.
14
The Sudan is the third largest country in Africa.
15
The Republic of Sudan emerged in July 2011 after the country was split in two. South Sudan split off to become its own country separate from the Republic of Sudan.
16
Homosexuality is not legal in the Sudan and is a capital offense.
17
The Sudanese base their legal system on Islamic Sharia Law.
18
The Sudan is divided into 18 states.
19
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of the Sudan. It is also a state in the Sudan.
20
Alcohol is forbidden in the Sudan. When Sharia law was first enforced in 1983, the whole country’s stock of alcohol was poured into the Nile River.
21
The Sudan’s main natural resource is petroleum.
22
A serious environmental issue in the Sudan, is desertification due to over-exploitation of the soil through human activity and due to climate change.
23
Before the succession of South Sudan, the Sudan was the largest country in Africa.
24
There are substantial amounts of gold, silver, zinc, tungsten, chromium ore, iron ore, and copper in the Sudan.
25
The name Sudan is short for bilād as-sūdān, which in Arabic means “land of the Blacks.”
26
People can be sentenced to flogging for various crimes. In 2001, 53 Christians in the Sudan were flogged.
27
There is a group of almost 200 ancient pyramids, called the Meroë pyramids, after the Meroitic Kingdom that reigned over the area for over 900 years, in a desert in the eastern part of the Sudan. They were built over 2,000 years ago.
28
Approximately 200,000 human beings were forced into slavery in the Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War, which lasted from 1983-2005.
29
One of the Sudan’s main trading partners is the People’s Republic of China.
30
In the conflict between rebel groups in Darfur and the Sudanese government, that started in 2003 and ended in 2008, it is estimated that 300,000 or more people were killed.
31
Another legal, judicial punishment is stoning. Stoning usually happens to women for adultery.
32
Sandstorms called haboob, block out the sun in some of the drier areas of the Sudan.
33
The average life expectancy in the Sudan is 63.71.
34
46% of people in the Sudan live below the poverty line.
35
An estimated two million people died as a consequence of disease, famine, and war during the Second Sudanese war that happened from 1983-2005.
36
Women in the Sudan can be whipped in public by police officers for public indecency. Public indecency can entail getting into a car with a man they are not related to, or not dressing conservatively enough.
37
After the 2011 succession of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan lost more than ¾ of its oil reserves.
38
In ancient times, the Sudan was called the Kingdom of Nubia.
39
The most popular sports in the Sudan are track and field and football.
40
In 1956, the Sudan hosted the first African Cup of Nations event for football.
41
In the Sudan, crucifixion is legal to use as a punishment.
42
One of the biggest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia, Kerma, is located in the Sudan. It existed over 5000 years ago and included an enormous tomb structure called the Western Deffufa.
43
The Sudan is listed as the 16th largest country in the world based on land area
44
All rivers and streams in the Sudan drain either toward, or into the Nile River.
45
Revolution Day, in the Sudan, is celebrated yearly on June 30 to remember the bloodless coup of 1989, led by then Colonel Omar al Bashir getting rid of the Sadiq al-Mahdi government.
46
Some animals you will find in nature in the Sudan, are elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, antelope, rhinoceroses, and antelope.
47
In 2010, President Omar al-Bashir was charged with genocide by the International Criminal court. He has never faced punishment for those charges.
48
The Sudan is on the United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
49
In the Second Sudanese Civil War, children from all sides involved were enlisted to fight.
50
The Blue Nile river and the White Nile river, flow through the Sudan and unite in the capital city of Khartoum. They then form the Nile River which flows into Egypt.
The Sudan faces many political, environmental, and social issues. Desertification has affected large areas of land making them unsuitable for much farming. Many people are starving. For many years, there were sanctions against the Sudan because of the various conflicts within the region and atrocities. Many sanctions were lifted as of 2017 due to improvements in the Sudan in regard to quitting hostilities involving the conflicts within the country and improvements with access for humanitarian groups. The Sudan is still not eligible for sorely needed debt relief, due to still being on the United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
Sources
The estimated population of the Sudan is 41,160,965.
2
The nominal GDP of the Sudan is $115,874 billion, and the nominal per capita GDP is $2,841.
3
The government in the Sudan is a dominant-party federal semi-presidential republic.
4
The official languages in the Sudan are Arabic and English.
5
The total area of the Sudan is 728,215 square miles (1,886,068 square kilometers).
6
The currency of the Sudan is the Sudanese pound.
7
People drive on the right side of the road in the Sudan.
8
The Sudan has a 530-mile (853 km) coastline bordering the Red Sea.
9
The countries bordering the Sudan by land, are Libya, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
10
97% of the Sudan’s population are followers of Islam, and most of them follow the Sunni form of Islam.
11
The nominal GDP of the Sudan is $115,874 billion, and the nominal per capita is $2,841.
12
There are 12 holidays in the Sudan.
13
The flag of the Sudan has a green triangle based at the hoist, and the rest of the flag is three thick horizontal stripes of (from the top) red, white, and black.
14
The Sudan is the third largest country in Africa.
15
The Republic of Sudan emerged in July 2011 after the country was split in two. South Sudan split off to become its own country separate from the Republic of Sudan.
16
Homosexuality is not legal in the Sudan and is a capital offense.
17
The Sudanese base their legal system on Islamic Sharia Law.
18
The Sudan is divided into 18 states.
19
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of the Sudan. It is also a state in the Sudan.
20
Alcohol is forbidden in the Sudan. When Sharia law was first enforced in 1983, the whole country’s stock of alcohol was poured into the Nile River.
21
The Sudan’s main natural resource is petroleum.
22
A serious environmental issue in the Sudan, is desertification due to over-exploitation of the soil through human activity and due to climate change.
23
Before the succession of South Sudan, the Sudan was the largest country in Africa.
24
There are substantial amounts of gold, silver, zinc, tungsten, chromium ore, iron ore, and copper in the Sudan.
25
The name Sudan is short for bilād as-sūdān, which in Arabic means “land of the Blacks.”
26
People can be sentenced to flogging for various crimes. In 2001, 53 Christians in the Sudan were flogged.
27
There is a group of almost 200 ancient pyramids, called the Meroë pyramids, after the Meroitic Kingdom that reigned over the area for over 900 years, in a desert in the eastern part of the Sudan. They were built over 2,000 years ago.
28
Approximately 200,000 human beings were forced into slavery in the Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War, which lasted from 1983-2005.
29
One of the Sudan’s main trading partners is the People’s Republic of China.
30
In the conflict between rebel groups in Darfur and the Sudanese government, that started in 2003 and ended in 2008, it is estimated that 300,000 or more people were killed.
31
Another legal, judicial punishment is stoning. Stoning usually happens to women for adultery.
32
Sandstorms called haboob, block out the sun in some of the drier areas of the Sudan.
33
The average life expectancy in the Sudan is 63.71.
34
46% of people in the Sudan live below the poverty line.
35
An estimated two million people died as a consequence of disease, famine, and war during the Second Sudanese war that happened from 1983-2005.
36
Women in the Sudan can be whipped in public by police officers for public indecency. Public indecency can entail getting into a car with a man they are not related to, or not dressing conservatively enough.
37
After the 2011 succession of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan lost more than ¾ of its oil reserves.
38
In ancient times, the Sudan was called the Kingdom of Nubia.
39
The most popular sports in the Sudan are track and field and football.
40
In 1956, the Sudan hosted the first African Cup of Nations event for football.
41
In the Sudan, crucifixion is legal to use as a punishment.
42
One of the biggest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia, Kerma, is located in the Sudan. It existed over 5000 years ago and included an enormous tomb structure called the Western Deffufa.
43
The Sudan is listed as the 16th largest country in the world based on land area
44
All rivers and streams in the Sudan drain either toward, or into the Nile River.
45
Revolution Day, in the Sudan, is celebrated yearly on June 30 to remember the bloodless coup of 1989, led by then Colonel Omar al Bashir getting rid of the Sadiq al-Mahdi government.
46
Some animals you will find in nature in the Sudan, are elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, antelope, rhinoceroses, and antelope.
47
In 2010, President Omar al-Bashir was charged with genocide by the International Criminal court. He has never faced punishment for those charges.
48
The Sudan is on the United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
49
In the Second Sudanese Civil War, children from all sides involved were enlisted to fight.
50
The Blue Nile river and the White Nile river, flow through the Sudan and unite in the capital city of Khartoum. They then form the Nile River which flows into Egypt.
The Sudan faces many political, environmental, and social issues. Desertification has affected large areas of land making them unsuitable for much farming. Many people are starving. For many years, there were sanctions against the Sudan because of the various conflicts within the region and atrocities. Many sanctions were lifted as of 2017 due to improvements in the Sudan in regard to quitting hostilities involving the conflicts within the country and improvements with access for humanitarian groups. The Sudan is still not eligible for sorely needed debt relief, due to still being on the United States list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
Sources