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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 70 usable: 58 with permanent-surface runways: 9 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 29

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 20,703 km paved: bituminous treated 2,000 km unpaved: gravel 4,000 km; improved earth 2,304 km; unimproved earth 12,399 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

5,310 km navigable

Merchant marine [time series]

10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 89,842 GRT/122,379 DWT, cargo 8, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2

Pipelines [time series]

refined products 815 km

Ports [time series]

Port Sudan, Sawakin

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained by modern standards; consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radio communications, troposcatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 stations; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations for international traffic - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $339 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 6,640,123; fit for military service 4,080,715; reach military age (18) annually 305,885 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 35% of GDP and 80% of labor force; water shortages; two-thirds of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products - cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally self-sufficient in most foods

Budget [time series]

revenues: $374.4 million expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $214 million (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Sudanese pound (#Sd) = 100 piastres

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 610,000 kW production: 905 million kWh consumption per capita: 40 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

official rate - Sudanese pounds (#Sd) per US$1 - 215 (January 1994), 333.3 (December 1993), 90.1 (March 1992), 5.4288 (1991), 4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987); note - the commercial rate is 300 (January 1994)

Exports [time series]

$350 million (f.o.b., FY93 est.) commodities: cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts partners: Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY88)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$17 billion (June 1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Imports [time series]

$1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY93 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles partners: Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 6.8% (FY93 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP (FY92)

Industries [time series]

cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

105% (FY93 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21.5 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$750 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

7% (FY93 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, high inflation, a drop in remittances from abroad, and counterproductive economic policies. The economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70% of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per capita income and consumption. A large foreign debt and huge arrearages continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative because of its nonpayment of arrearages to the Fund. The government implemented a comprehensive economic reform program in 1992 that included slashing the fiscal deficit, liberalizing foreign exchange regulations, and lifting most price controls, but it had backtracked on most reforms by mid-1993 because of its fear of generating a domestic backlash. The government's failure to pursue economic reform, its continued prosecution of the civil war, and its growing international isolation have led to a further deterioration of the non-agricultural sectors of the economy during 1993. Agriculture, on the other hand, after several disappointing years, enjoyed favorable growing conditions in 1993, and its strong performance produced an overall growth rate in GNP of about 7%.

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (FY93 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 2,505,810 sq km land area: 2.376 million sq km comparative area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

853 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: contaminated water supplies present human health risks; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide with international boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt does not coincide with international boundary creating the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km, the dispute over this area escalated in 1993, this area continues to be in dispute

Irrigated land [time series]

18,900 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 7,687 km, Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km, Zaire 628 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 5% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 24% forest and woodland: 20% other: 51%

Location [time series]

Northern Africa, along the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

small reserves of petroleum, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver

Note [time series]

largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Terrain [time series]

generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, Al Wusta*, Al Istiwa'iyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan

Capital [time series]

Khartoum

Chief of State and Head of Government [time series]

President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); prior to 16 October 1993, BASHIR served concurrently as Chief of State, Chairman of the RCC, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence (since 30 June 1989); Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October 1993); note - upon its dissolution on 16 October 1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powers were devolved to the President and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), Sudan's appointed legislative body cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president; note - on 30 October 1993 President BASHIR announced a new, predominantly civilian cabinet, consisting of 20 federal ministers, most of whom retained their previous cabinet positions note: Lt. Gen. BASHIR's government is dominated by members of Sudan's National Islamic Front, a fundamentalist political organization formed from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; front leader Hasan al-TURABI controls Khartoum's overall domestic and foreign policies

Constitution [time series]

12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmad SULAYMAN chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 338-8565 through 8570

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 667-2406

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

Telex 22619 AMEM SD

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Independence [time series]

1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; the council is still studying criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law applies to all residents of the six northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

appointed 300-member Transitional National Assembly; officially assumes all legislative authority for Sudan until the eventual, unspecified resumption of national elections

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan conventional short form: Sudan local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan local short form: As-Sudan former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

National Islamic Front, Hasan al-TURABI

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

ruling military junta - Revolutionary Command Council - dissolved on 16 October 1993 and government civilianized

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald K. PETTERSON embassy: Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum, or APO AE 09829 telephone: 74700 or 74611

People

Birth rate [time series]

41.95 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

12.09 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

79.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

6.5 million by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6% note: labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.); 52% of population of working age (1985)

Languages [time series]

Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English note: program of Arabization in process

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 54.27 years male: 53.4 years female: 55.19 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 27% male: 43% female: 12%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Sudanese (singular and plural) adjective: Sudanese

Net migration rate [time series]

-6.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

29,419,798 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.36% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.09 children born/woman (1994 est.)