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Sudan
Arabic:
'al-jumhūriyyatu s-sūdāniyya
Arabic: (SHORT:) sūdān
INTRODUCTION
1. Political situation
2. Defence
3. Economy
4. Health. Education
5. Human rights
6. Religions. Peoples. Languages
7. History
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MAJOR CITIES
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Khartoum (2,8 million)
Omdurman (1,5 million)
Port Sudan (400,000)
Kassala (320,000)
Al-Ubayyid (310,000)
Nyala (290,000)
Wad Medani (280,000)
Al-Qadarif (240,000)
Kusti (220,000)
Al-Fashir (190,000)
Juba (180,000)
Al-Junaynah (130,000)
Atbarah (120,000)
Waw (120,000)
Ad-Du'ayn (100,000)
Sannar (100,000)
Malakal (100,000)
Ad-Damazin (100,000)
All figures are 2005 estimates
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STATUS
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Independent Islamic republic, divided into 26 states (wilaya(t)).
Sudan has an ongoing civil war in the southern half of the country. In the northeast the border to Egypt remains disputed.
| GOVERNMENT
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Head of state: President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
| GEOGRAPHY
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Inhabitants: 40 million (2005 estimate)
Population growth rate: 2.7%
Total area: 2,505,000 kmē
Water: 129,800 km²
Density: 15 per kmē
Border: 7,687 km (Egypt 1,273 km, Libya 383 km, Tchad 1,360 km, Central African Republic 1,165 km, Congo-Kinshasa 628 km, Uganda 435 km, Kenya 232 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Eritrea 605 km)
Coastline: 853 km
Highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Arable land: 7%
Capital: Khartoum
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
| World rank (of 177): 141
Index (1.0 max): 0.516
Explanation
| DEMOGRAPHY
| Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Te Bedawie, Nilotic languages, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages and English
Religions: Sunni Islam, Traditional religions, Christianity
| ECONOMY
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Currency: Dinar
100 dinars=US$0,40. US$1=247 dinar (May, 2003)
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CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
Sudan is a large country, and has many climate zones. In the northern half the nature is arid, with the exception of the valley along the Nile. In the southern half, there are many mountain ranges with fertile climates. To the very south, the nature is fresh and wild.
Sudan has a large number of ethnic groups, with numerous languages. There are also many different religions among the peoples, where Islam dominates in the north, Christianity in the south and traditional religions in small communities.
Sudan is one of the few countries that is underpopulated, yet most people living here are poor. The sad conditions of the economy is almost exclusively the result of the incompetent politics of the leaders of the country through the recent decades. In recent years, attempts of implementing an Islamist regime has ruined what already was weak in the society.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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