Key facts about Sudan

About Sudan:

• It is located in northeastern Africa.
• It is the third largest nation in all of Africa occupying an area of 1,886,068 sq. km.
• Sudan shares a border with its seven neighbors: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, and the Central African Republic. 
• Sudan also has a significant coastline along the Red Sea.
  • This narrow strip of water gives vital access to the Indian Ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. 
• Prior to the secession of the south in 2011, Sudan was the largest African country, with an area that represented more than 8 percent of the African continent and almost 2 percent of the world’s total land area.
• Geography:
  • Sudan is mainly composed of vast plains and plateaus that are drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.
  • Much of Sudan consists of deserts and arid grasslands with little in the way of vegetation. 
  • The northern part of this plain is a primarily rocky desert area called the Nubian Desert.
• Independence:
  • Following Egyptian occupation early in the 19th century, the British established an Anglo-Egyptian Sudan - nominally a condominium, but in effect a British colony.
  • Sudan gained independence from Anglo-Egyptian co-rule in 1956.
  • Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since Sudan gained independence.
• Capital: Khartoum
• The country is dominated by Muslims and identify themselves as “Arabs”.

Languages: Arabic, English

Q1: The Nile River passes through which all countries?

The Nile River flows over 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to Egypt, the Nile runs through or along the border of 10 other African countries, namely, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Source: ‘Crimes against humanity’ may have been committed in Sudan, says UN chief