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NAVIGATION
Republic of the Sudan
Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments 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). The wars are rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. 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 ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and an Islamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northern opposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebels and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of several accords, including a cease-fire agreement. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N, 30 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 2,505,810 sq km
water: 129,810 sq km land: 2.376 million sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US |
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Land boundaries:
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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 |
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Coastline:
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853 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November) |
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Terrain:
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generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 7.03%
permanent crops: 0.08% other: 92.89% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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19,500 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms and periodic persistent droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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38,114,160 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 44% (male 8,562,412; female 8,195,201)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 10,260,581; female 10,246,045) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 468,898; female 381,023) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 17.7 years
male: 17.5 years female: 17.9 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.71% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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36.48 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 65.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 66.3 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 57.73 years
male: 56.59 years female: 58.93 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.6% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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450,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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23,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudanese |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1% |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum) |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
note: program of "Arabization" in process |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.) |