Republic of Sudan

Introduction to Republic of Sudan

Sudan, or Republic of Sudan, a country of northeastern Africa. It lies directly south of Egypt and is also bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya. From its northernmost point, on the shore of the Red Sea, Sudan stretches some 1,300 miles (2,100 km) southward; east-west, the greatest distance is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km). With an area of 967,500 square miles (2,505,813 km 2), Sudan is Africa's largest nation and is almost one-third the size of the United States.

Physical Geography

Most of Sudan occupies a great plain rimmed by hills and mountains everywhere but on the north. From elevations of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 915 m) above sea level along its edges, the plain drops gradually toward the north.

Northern Sudan lies within the Sahara, and includes part of the sandy, almost uninhabited Libyan Desert and all of the Nubian Desert. Separating the desert plains from the coast are the barren Red Sea Hills, whose highest peaks rise to slightly more than 7,400 feet (2,260 m). At about the latitude of Khartoum, Sudan's capital, the desert begins to merge with the grassland that covers much of the central part of the country. Breaking this monotonous expanse of plain are the low Nuba Mountains and other hilly areas. Farther west, near the Chad border, are the Marra Mountains, whose peaks reach 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

Southern Sudan is largely a region of swamps, savannas, and tropical forests. Centered on the southern White Nile valley is the Sudd, an enormous swampy area cut by shifting water channels. Far to the south are hills and mountains. They are dotted with woodlands on their lower slopes, thickly forested at higher elevations. Near the Uganda border rises Kinyeti, at 10,456 feet (3,187 m) the highest peak in Sudan.

The Nile River system is the lifeline of Sudan, extending the length of the country and providing water for people and crops. The main stream of the Nile is formed at Khartoum by the merging of the Blue Nile and the White Nile. Fed by torrential summer rains in Ethiopia's mountains, the Blue Nile rises annually in a great flood that supplies most of the irrigation water used in Sudan. The White Nile, flowing out of Uganda, is considerably longer than the Blue Nile, but loses much of its initial volume through evaporation in the Sudd. Although large tributaries such as the Sobat and the Bahr el Ghazal make up part of the loss, the waters of the White Nile reaching Khartoum make up less than half of the main Nile's annual flow.

Beyond Khartoum, the Nile receives only one tributary, the Atbara, before winding its way across the desert. In the far north, Egypt's Lake Nasser—formed by the Aswan High Dam—extends more than 100 miles (160 km) into Sudan.

Lying entirely within the tropics, and having few areas of high elevation. Sudan has warm to hot weather all year. In the equatorial south, temperatures vary only slightly during the year, with averages of about 80° F. (27° C.) the year round. For seven or eight months of the year, central and northern Sudan have extremely hot weather, with daytime highs often well above 100° F. (38° C.). The rest of the year is somewhat less severe, but hot spells may occur at any time. Great dust storms, known locally as haboobs, often sweep across the drier parts of the country.

Rainfall is low nearly everywhere. Almost no rain falls in the north, but elsewhere a rainy season occurs, increasing in intensity southward. Khartoum, with rain only about two months of the year, receives 6 inches (150 mm) a year. Farther south, the season is longer, bringing 35 inches (890 mm) to Malakal and 50 inches (1,270 mm) to regions near the southern border.

Economy

Sudan is one of the poorest nations in the world. The vast majority of the people are engaged in agriculture; manufacturing and mining are largely undeveloped. The country suffers from many problems that prevent economic development, including chronic political instability, a huge foreign debt, an adverse climate, and inadequate transportation and electrical power.

Roughly 3 per cent of the land is cultivated. Several times that area could be farmed successfully if enough labor and water were available. Much of the farmland lies in somewhat rainy areas, but the most productive farms are in the semiarid central plains where irrigation is needed. Most farmers use primitive methods and equipment; however, mechanization and modern crop rotation systems are slowly being adopted through government assistance.

Cotton is the mainstay of Sudan's economy and usually makes up one-third to one-half of all exports in value. It is grown chiefly on irrigated land, especially in the Gezira region south of Khartoum. Here, between the White and Blue Nile valleys, dams and canals form an irrigation system servicing thousands of acres of cropland. Cotton is also grown in parts of the far south and in the southwest without irrigation. Other important exports include peanuts, sesame, and gum arabic.

Many of Sudan's farms are of the subsistence type, producing only enough for the individual farmer and family. The staple foods of grain sorghum, millet, other grains, cassava, and peanuts are widely grown. Sugarcane is also produced in large amounts. Supplementary crops of vegetables and fruit are raised in the south, and dates are important in the north. Cattle, goats, and sheep are kept in many areas, and few families are without at least a few animals. In southern Sudan, cattle predominate; they are valued for food and as a measure of wealth and prestige.

Manufacturing is of little importance and employs only a tiny percentage of Sudan's workers. The few industries of significance are concentrated mostly in the Khartoum-Khartoum North area. They include the processing of cotton and other farm goods, especially foods, as well as the making of textiles, shoes, soap, fertilizer, cement, and petroleum products. Small industries are usually privately owned, but the government operates larger establishments such as cotton gins.

The principal mineral resource is petroleum. Small amounts of chromium and manganese ores and a few other minerals are produced. Salt for domestic use is obtained from the waters of the Red Sea.

Both the Nile and the Red Sea are rich in fish, but there is little commercial fishing. Except for some salted and dried fish exported to neighboring countries, fishing serves only local needs.

Forests and woodlands are fairly widespread in the south, but have not been extensively cut by commercial loggers. Moderate amounts of wood are cut for fuel, building materials, and other local uses. Teak and mahogany from the southern tropical forests are exported in small amounts.

The great distances within Sudan and the lack of sufficient capital hinder the building of a good transportation network. Despite a fairly good railway system linking the larger cities with farming areas, there are often long and costly delays in moving cotton and other valuable goods. Roads extend between most of the chief towns and cities, but are often impassable in the rainy season. The only paved road, completed in 1980, links Khartoum and Port Sudan.

Steamers carry passengers and freight on the larger rivers, particularly the White Nile between Khartoum and Juba in the far south, where year-round service is available. Seasonal low water prevents year-round service on most other streams.

Nearly all foreign trade is handled at Port Sudan, the only modern ocean port. Khartoum's airport is served by several large international airlines. A nationally owned line, Sudan Airways, provides domestic service and also flights to a number of African, European, and Middle Eastern countries.

People

The people of northern and north-central Sudan are mainly Arabs or of mixed Arab and black ancestry. They are descendants of nomads from the Arabian Peninsula who began infiltrating the Sudan area around the beginning of the Christian Era. Most of the people of southern Sudan are blacks. A small number of Sudanese are of Egyptian and of Asian ancestry. Increasing numbers of West African black immigrants have settled in rural areas.

Settlement of the land is very uneven; areas in the desert north are virtually uninhabited while the major valleys of the Nile system are densely populated. More than 4 million people live in the relatively small area that includes Khartoum and the Gezira region. Sudan's largest cities are Omdurman and Khartoum, the national capital.

Arabic is the official language of Sudan and is spoken by about half the people. It is taught in all elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools. Numerous indigenous languages are spoken, especially in the three southern provinces. English is widely spoken and is the language of instruction in most institutions of higher learning.

Islam is the predominant religion of Sudan; more than three-fourths of the country's people adhere to that faith. Some people of the south retain traditional animist beliefs, and some are Christians. A number of Christians, Hindus, and Jews live in the cities.

Public schooling is free but not compulsory. The government provides primary education (ages 7–15) in a six-year elementary course and a three-year intermediate course. Secondary education (ages 16–18) is of three types—academic, technical, and teacher training. The education system is more developed in the north than the south, which for many years had only Christian missionary schools. The missionary schools were nationalized in 1957.

Institutions of higher learning include the University of Khartoum, the University of Juba, and the Omdurman Islamic University, at Omdurman. Technical education is given in secondary technical schools and Khartoum Polytechnic.

The dominant culture in northern Sudan is Islamic and Arabic. Western literature and art, introduced by the British during Anglo-Egyptian rule, influenced educated Sudanese to some extent.

Northern Sudan's cultural heritage is mixed. Since earliest history, there has been an interchange of art forms and ideas between Egypt and northern Sudan (known to the ancient Egyptians as Nubia). Nubian art and architecture followed Egyptian tradition but were infused and invigorated with local elements of design. Contact with Greece and Rome introduced classical concepts of art, which were adapted by the Nubians. The Nubians invented a script, but their language has been forgotten and their script has not been deciphered.

The arts of the southern peoples consist mainly of music, dancing, and oral poetry. Pottery making and basket weaving are leading crafts. Archeological and historical collections are in museums at Khartoum, Omdurman, and Merowe.

Government

Sudan is a republic under the constitution of 1985. The country is governed by a president and a 360-member national assembly. For administrative purposes, Sudan is divided into 26 states, each ruled by a governor, deputy governor, and council of ministers. In 1998, the national assembly approved a new constitution. This constitution gives executive power to the council of ministers, which is appointed by the President but responsible to the national assembly. In addition to civil and criminal courts, Sudan has special courts that have jurisdiction for the Muslim population over family matters such as divorce and inheritance.