Sudan

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Mechanized agriculture
  - Subsistence farming and livestock raising
  - Forestry and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance and trade
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Traditional cultures
  - Social organization
    - Political and territorial organization
    - Family and kinship patterns
    - Social stratification
    - Socialization and education
  - Economic organization
    - Settlement patterns
    - Production and technology
    - Property and exchange systems
  - Religious practices
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Ancient Nubia
  - Egyptian influence
  - The kingdom of Kush
- Christian and Islamic influence
  - Medieval Christian kingdoms
  - Islamic encroachments
  - The Funj
  - The spread of Islam
- Egyptian-Ottoman rule
  - Muḥammad ʿAlī and his successors
  - Ismāʿīl Pasha and the growth of European influence
- The Mahdiyyah
  - The reign of the Khalīfah
  - The British conquest
- The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium
  - The early years of British rule
  - The growth of national consciousness
- The Republic of the Sudan
  - Coups and conflict with the south
  - The Nimeiri regime
    - The Addis Ababa Agreement
    - Economic development
    - The rise of Muslim fundamentalism
    - Resumption of civil war
    - Nimeiri’s overthrow and its aftermath
  - Sudan under Bashir
    - Ongoing civil war
    - Transition to civilian rule
    - Peace with the south
    - Conflict in Darfur
    - Multiparty elections and preparations for southern independence
    - A new Sudan
      Conflict with South Sudan
      Domestic challenges and the 2015 general elections
      Challenge to Bashir’s rule and the 2019 military coup
  - Transition
  - Tension, protests, and the 2021 military coup

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Physical features of Sudan

Nile River basin and its drainage network

The journey of camel drivers from Sudan to Egypt

Sudan: Urban-rural

For Students

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Sudan: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Sudanese paramilitary group says its forming a rival government • Apr. 16, 2025, 4:13 PM ET (AP)

An international conference rallies aid for Sudan after 2 years of civil war, but peace is elusive • Apr. 16, 2025, 4:01 AM ET (AP)

UN: Civilian death toll in Sudan's Darfur attacks tops 300 in 2 days as war nears 2-year mark • Apr. 15, 2025, 12:00 AM ET (AP)

Home to centuries of heritage, Sudan's biggest museum is looted and wrecked by a 2-year war • Apr. 14, 2025, 12:38 AM ET (AP)

Attacks on famine-hit camps in Sudan's Darfur leave at least 100 people dead, UN official says • Apr. 12, 2025, 2:34 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of the Sudan • As-Sūdān • Jumhūrīyat As-Sūdān
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Osman Hussein (acting)³
Capital	Khartoum⁵
Population	(2025 est.) 48,945,000
Head Of State	President: Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan⁴
Form Of Government	transitional government³
Official Languages⁶	Arabic; English
Official Religion	See footnote 7.
Official Name	Jumhūriyyat al-Sūdān^{1, 2} (Republic of the Sudan)
Total Area (Sq Km)	1,840,687
Total Area (Sq Mi)	710,689
Monetary Unit	Sudanese pound (SDG)
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2024) 36.8% • Rural: (2024) 63.2%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 64.9 years • Female: (2022) 69.5 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2018) 65% • Female: (2018) 56%
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 880
¹Data prior to 2011 include the newly created South Sudan unless otherwise noted.²Alternately known as The Sudan.³Pres. Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup on April 11, 2019. The constitution was suspended, and the government was dissolved and replaced with a transitional government led by the High Council of the Armed Forces from April 12, headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. On August 21 the High Council was replaced with a transitional Sovereignty Council, comprising military and civilian representatives with Burhan as president, that was expected to rule until democratic elections, scheduled for 2022, were held. On October 25, 2021, the military launched another coup. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other government officials were arrested, and the Sovereignty Council was dissolved. Promised elections were pushed back to July 2023. On November 11 Burhan formed a new Sovereignty Council, again with himself as president. A deal signed on November 21 between Burhan and Hamdok saw the latter reinstated as prime minister and resumed the transition process, but Hamdok resigned on January 2, 2022. Burhan appointed Osman Hussein as acting prime minister on January 19.⁴As head of the military.⁵Council of States meets in Khartoum; National Assembly meets in Omdurman.⁶Official working language per 2005 interim constitution.⁷Islamic law and custom are applicable to Muslims only.

Photos and Videos

Physical features of Sudan

Nile River basin and its drainage network

Sudan: Sennar Dam on the Blue Nile River

Meroe, Sudan: pyramids

The journey of camel drivers from Sudan to Egypt

National anthem of Sudan

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Funj Dynasty Arab League Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa Council of Arab Economic Unity Organization of the Islamic Cooperation nation-state al-Mahdiyyah Siege of Khartoum Battle of Omdurman Fashoda Incident United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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national capital, Sudan

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Wādī Ḥalfāʾ

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