2003 Edition

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

Age structure

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.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

Airports

63 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)

total

12

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

51

under 914 m

10 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 24

Area

land

2.376 million sq km

total

2,505,810 sq km

water

129,810 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Background

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 Sudan

Birth rate

36.48 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$1.6 billion

Capital

Khartoum

Climate

tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Coastline

853 km

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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of the Sudan

conventional short form

Sudan

former

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

local long form

Jumhuriyat as-Sudan

local short form

As-Sudan

Currency

Sudanese dinar (SDD)

Currency code

SDD

Death rate

9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$15.8 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

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

Disputes - international

the north-south civil war has drawn Sudan's neighbors into the fighting, sheltering refugees, and infiltration by rebel groups - Kenya and Uganda have acted as mediators; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan, creating the "Ilemi triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is economically developing the "Hala'ib triangle" This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$187 million (1997)

Economy - overview

Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems, notably the low level of per capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999 Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped maintain GDP growth at 5.1% 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. Chronic domestic instability, lagging reforms, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - but, above all, the low starting point - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years.

Electricity - consumption

2.222 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

2.389 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

52.1%

hydro

47.9%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kinyeti 3,187 m

lowest point

Red Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought

Environment - international agreements

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

Ethnic groups

black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Exchange rates

Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001), 257.12 (2000), 252.55 (1999), 200.8 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet

chief of state

President Lt. Gen. Umar Hassan 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

election results

Lt. Gen. 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 a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)

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

note

Lt. Gen. al-BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 and retained it through several transitional governments in the early and mid-1990s before being popularly elected for the first time in March 1996

Exports

$1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar

Exports - partners

China 55.7%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 4.9% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 667-2406

chancery

2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Sudan

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side Economy Sudan

GDP

purchasing power parity - $52.9 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

43%

industry

17%

services

40% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.1% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 30 00 E

Geography - note

largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries People 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

Heliports

2 (2002) Military Sudan

Highways

paved

4,320 km

total

11,900 km

unpaved

7,580 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

23,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

450,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

Imports - partners

China 19.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.4%, Germany 5.5%, India 5.5%, UK 5.4%, Indonesia 4.7%, Australia 4% (2002)

Independence

1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

Industrial production growth rate

8.5% (1999 est.)

Industries

oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly

Infant mortality rate

female

64.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

66.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

65.59 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.2% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), 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, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.sd

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2002)

Internet users

56,000 (2002) Transportation Sudan

Irrigated land

19,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts

Labor force

11 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

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

total

7,687 km

Land use

arable land

7.03%

other

92.89% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.08%

Languages

Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English

note

program of "Arabization" in process

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

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)

election results

NCP 355, others 5

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

58.93 years (2003 est.)

male

56.59 years

total population

57.73 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

50.5% (2003 est.) Government Sudan

male

71.8%

total population

61.1%

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

18 NM

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

17.9 years (2002)

male

17.5 years

total

17.7 years

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1, livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)

total

4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 29,854 GRT/39,084 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$581 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.5% (1999) Transnational Issues Sudan

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

9,032,834 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

5,558,462 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

429,334 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

Nationality

adjective

Sudanese

noun

Sudanese (singular and plural)

Natural gas - proved reserves

99.11 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Natural resources

petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Net migration rate

0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

50,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

209,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

631.5 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

gas 156 km; oil 2,297 km; refined products 810 km (2003)

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 leaders

Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; National Congress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; National Democratic Alliance [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army [Dr. John GARANG]; Umma [Sadiq al-MAHDI]

Population

38,114,160 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

2.71% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin

Radio broadcast stations

AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

7.55 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge plantation line (2002)

total

5,978 km

Religions

Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.23 male(s)/female

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Telephone system

domestic

consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

general assessment

large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially

international

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Telephones - main lines in use

400,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

20,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

3 (1997)

Televisions

2.38 million (1997)

Terrain

generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Total fertility rate

5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

18.7% (2002 est.)

Waterways

5,310 km