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.