Sudan
Republic of the SudanJumhuriyat as-Sudan
transitional - previously ruling militaryIndependence 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Sudan as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt | and Eritrea
15 fieldsLand useshare of 2,505,810 sq km
International disputes
- administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international boundary;
- administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with international boundary creating the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km, tensions over this disputed area began to escalate in 1992 and remain high
Terrain
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
- lowest point:
- Red Sea 0 m
- highest point:
- Kinyeti 3,187 m
Natural resources
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold
Environment
- current issues:
- inadequate supplies of potable water;
- wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting;
- soil erosion;
- desertification
- natural hazards:
- dust storms
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1996 est.)
Male · female(1996 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 46% (male 7,389,616; female 7,080,044)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 8,219,080; female 8,172,544)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (male 387,961; female 298,298) (July 1996 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.3 male(s)/female
- all ages:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Languages
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English note: program of Arabization in process
Government
Transitional - previously ruling military
21 fieldsName of country
- conventional long form:
- Republic of the Sudan
- conventional short form:
- Sudan
- local long form:
- Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
- local short form:
- As-Sudan
- former:
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Type of government
- transitional - previously ruling military junta;
- presidential and National Assembly elections held in March 1996;
- new constitution to be drafted by the National Assembly
Administrative divisions
- 9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*);
- A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile), Al Wusta*, Al Istiwa'iyah* (Equatoria), Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
note: on 14 February 1994, the 9 states comprising Sudan were divided into 26 new states; the following spellings have been reported but not approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Bahr Aljebal, Blue Nile, Bohayrat, East Equatoria, Gedarif, Gezira, Jungle, Kassala, Khartoum, North, North Bahr Alghazal, North Darfur, North Kordofan, Red Sea, River Nile, Sinnar, South Darfur, South Kordofan, Unity, Upper Nile, Warab, West Bahr Alghazal, West Darfur, West Kordofan, West Equatoria, White Nile)
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 to be drafted following national elections held in March 1996
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;
- the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law;
- Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion;
- some separate religious courts;
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state and head of government:
- President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993) was elected to a five-year term by popular vote; election last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); results - President al-BASHIR won 75.7% of the vote and defeated about forty other candidates; First Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October 1993), Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George KONGOR AROP (since NA February 1994)
note: al-BASHIR, as chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC), assumed power on 30 June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until 16 October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC;
upon its dissolution on 16 October 1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved to the president and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's appointed legislative body, which has since been replaced by the National Assembly which was elected in March 1996
- cabinet:
- Cabinet was appointed by the president;
- note - on 30 October 1993, President al-BASHIR announced a new, predominantly civilian cabinet, consisting of 20 federal ministers, most of whom retained their previous cabinet positions;
- on 9 February 1995, he abolished three ministries and redivided their portfolios to create several new ministries;
- these changes increased National Islamic Front presence at the ministerial level and consolidated its control over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- President al-BASHIR's government is dominated by members of Sudan's National Islamic Front, a fundamentalist political organization formed from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986;
- front leader Hasan al-TURABI dominates much of Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign policies;
- President al-BASHIR is expected to name a new cabinet following the elections held in March 1996
National Assembly
- elections last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA);
- results - percent of vote NA;
- seats - (400 total, 275 directly elected, and 125 elected by a supra assembly of interest groups known as the National Congress);
- note - March 1996 elections were held on a nonparty basis and parties are to be banned in the new National Assembly
International organization participation
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador-designate Mahdi IBRAHIM
- chancery:
- 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 338-8565 through 8570
US diplomatic representation
- operations in Khartoum were suspended in February 1996;
- Ambassador to Sudan Timothy M. CARNEY and several members of the mission have relocated to Nairobi, Kenya and operate out of the US Embassy there;
- the embassy is located at the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue;
- mailing address: ;
- telephone: [254] (2) 334141;
- FAX: [254] (2) 340838
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
Economy
20 fieldsGDP composition by sector(1992 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 500,000 kW
Economic overview
Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, high inflation, a drop in remittances from abroad, and counterproductive economic policies. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980.
Agriculture employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A large foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties.
In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. After Sudan backtracked on promised reforms in 1992-93, the IMF threatened to expel Sudan from the Fund. To avoid expulsion, Khartoum agreed to make payments on its arrears to the Fund, liberalize exchange rates, and reduce subsidies, measures it has partially implemented.
The government's continued prosecution of the civil war and its growing international isolation continued to inhibit growth in the nonagricultural sectors of the economy during 1995. Agricultural production in 1995, while fairly good, was not up to the bumper crop level of 1994.
Labor force
8.9 million (1993 est.); by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6% note: labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.)
Industries
cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining
Exports
$535 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
- commodities:
- cotton 24%, livestock/meat 13%, gum arabic 11%
- partners:
- EU 39%, Saudi Arabia 19%, Japan 9%, US 3% (1993)
Imports
$1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
- commodities:
- foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles
- partners:
- EU 31%, Libya 19%, Egypt 5%, Saudi Arabia 5%, US 5% (1993)
Exchange rates
- Sudanese pounds (LSd) per US$1 - official rate: 750.0 (November 1995), 277.8 (1994), 153.8 (1993), 69.4 (1992), 5.4288 (1991);
- market rate: 571.02 (August 1995), 289.61 (1994), 159.31 (1993), 97.43 (1992), 6.96 (1991)
note: the market rate is a unified exchange rate determined by a committee of local bankers, without official intervention, and is quoted uniformly by all commercial banks
Fiscal year
calendar year
note: prior to July 1995, Sudan had a fiscal year that began on 1 July and ended on 30 June; as a transition to their new fiscal year, a six-month budget was implemented for 1 July - 31 December 1995;
the new calendar year (1 January - 31 December) fiscal year became effective 1 January 1996
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 56 in all
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 43,024 GRT/57,985 DWT
- ships by type:
- cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1995 est.)
Communications
Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force Militia
9 fieldsTelephone system
large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained by modern standards
- domestic:
- consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Manpower availability
- males age 15-49:
- 7,152,884
- males fit for military service:
- 4,399,445
- males reach military age (18) annually:
- 329,460 (1996 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Sudan.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sudan/1996.