1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; international boundary and Administrative Boundary with Kenya; international boundary and Administrative Boundary with Egypt

Climate

tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October)

Coastline

853 km

Comparative area

about one-fourth the size of US

about the size of

Contiguous zone

18 nm

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Environment

dominated by Nile River and tributaries; dust storms; desertification

Land boundaries

7,805 km total

Land use

5% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 24% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 51% other; includes 1% irrigated

Special notes

largest country in Africa

Terrain

generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

500 km Red Dunqulah Sea * Agbarah , KHARTOUM, Kassalé Alfishir, © Wed Madani” a 2 AUbavvid” kia Nyala Matekal > authoritative

2,505,810 km?; land area: 2,376,000 km?

163,270 km?; land area: 161,470 km?

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

118.9/1,000 (1985)

Labor force

6.086 million (1982); roughly 78.4% agriculture, 9.8% industry and commerce, 6.0% government; labor shortages for almost all categories of employment coexist with urban unemployment

Language

Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, NiloHamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; program of Arabization in process

Life expectancy

47

Literacy

20%

Nationality

noun—Sudanese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Sudanese

Population

23,524,622 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.90%

Religion

70% Sunni Muslim in north, 20% indigenous beliefs, 5% Christian (mostly in south)

Administrative divisions

9 regions

Branches

Supreme Council and Civilian Cabinet; regional military governors

Capital

Khartoum

Elections

elections held in April 1986; selected representation to a Constituent Assembly that was to draft a new constitution in one year and thereafter turn itself into a parliament to serve for three years Political parties and leaders: following coup in April 1985, more than 30 different political parties declared; most significant include the Umma Party (Ansar Muslim Sect), the Democratic Unionist Party (Khatmiyyah Muslim Sect), the rightist Islamic fundamentalist National Islamic Front (Muslim Brotherhood), the Sudanese Communist Party, and the B‘ath Party; major southern parties include the Sudan African Congress and the Southern Sudanese Political Association

Government leaders

Ahmad al-MIRGHANI, Chairman, Supreme Council (since May 1986); Sadiq alMAHDI, Prime Minister (since May 1986)

Legal system

based on English common law and Islamic law; in September 1983 President Nimeiri declared the penal code would conform to Islamic law; some separate religious courts; interim constitution promulgated August 1985; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

AfDB, APC, Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, (IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

I January, Independence Day

Official name

Republic of the Sudan

Suffrage

universal adult

Type

republic

Agriculture

main crops—sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, peanuts, beans, barley; not self-sufficient in food production; main cash crops—cotton, gum arabic, peanuts, sesame

Budget

(FY86) public revenues $630 million, total expenditures $1,023 million, including development expenditure of $255 million

Electric power

552,000 kW capacity; 1,210 million kWh produced, 52 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$557 million (f.o.b., 1985); cotton (26%), gum arabic, livestock, peanuts, sesame; $40 million to Communist countries (FY82)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

GDP

$7.31 billion at current prices (FY84), $330 per capita (FY84)

Imports

$1,235 million (c.i.f., 1985); textiles, petroleum products, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, manufactured goods

Major industries

cotton ginning, textiles, brewery, cement, edible oils, livestock, soap, distilling, shoes, pharmaceuticals

Major trade partners

UK, FRG, US, Saudi Arabia, France, Egypt, Japan

Monetary conversion rate

2.50 Sudanese pounds=US$] (October 1986) official; 5.00 Sudanese pounds=US$1 free market (December 1986)

Natural resources

modest reserves of oil, iron ore, copper, chrome, and other industrial minerals

Airfields

88 total, 79 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3] with runways 1,220-2,489 m

Civil air

13 major transport aircraft

Highways

20,000 km total; 2,000 km bituminous treated, 4,000 km gravel, 2,304 km improved earth; remainder unimproved earth and track

Inland waterways

5,310 km navigable

Pipelines

refined products, 815 km

Ports

1 major (Port Sudan)

Railroads

5,516 km total; 4,800 km 1.067meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter gauge plantation line

Telecommunications

large system by African standards, but barely adequate; consists of radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter,; domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 68,500 telephones (0.3 per 100 popl.}; 4 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 30 June 1986, $134.4 million; 5.5% of central government budget Suriname North Atlantic Ocean Nieuw Nickerie Brokopando, Prof. Dr, tr. W. # van Blommestein Meer km

Military manpower

males 15-49, 5,314,000; 3,247,000 fit for military service; 249,000 reach military age (18) annually