Quick Facts

© Copyright United Nations
(Click for full-size map)

Demography

Population: 40.2 million

Languages: Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Te Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages

Religions: Sunni Muslim 70%, Christian 5%, indigenous beliefs 25%

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

Life expectancy: 50.28 years

Median age: 18.9 years

Population Growth Rate: 2.1%

Literacy (age 15+ can read and write): 61.1%

Geography

Capital: Khartoum

Area: 2,505,819 sq. km; slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Natural resources: petroleum, small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Economy

GDP (purchasing power parity): $80.98 billion

Currency: Sudanese pounds

Population below the Poverty line: 40%

Government and Political

Date of Independence: January 1, 1956 (from the UK and Egypt)

Type of government: Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)

Displacement

Refugees (country of origin): Eritrea 157,200, Chad 25,023, Ethiopia 11,009, Uganda 7895, Central African Republic 5023, Rwanda 20,213

Internally Displaced Persons: 5.3 million-6.2 million