ARCHIVE // SD // 2011
Sudan
2011 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadcast media
[time series]
the Sudanese Government directly controls TV and radio, requiring that both media reflect government policies; TV has a permanent military censor; a private radio station is in operation (2007)
Internet country code
[time series]
.sd
Internet users
(Internet hosts)
[time series]
70 (2010) country comparison to the world: 207
Internet users
[time series]
4.2 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 56
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
general assessment: well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially with wide coverage of most major cities domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, fiber optic, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 249; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
374,700 (2010) country comparison to the world: 107
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
17.654 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 47
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep and other livestock
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $11.32 billion expenditures: $13.35 billion (2010 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
-3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Commercial bank prime lending rate
[time series]
9.7% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 11% (31 December 2009 est.)
Current account balance
[time series]
-$4.119 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172 -$4.232 billion (2009 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$37.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63 $35.72 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Since 1997, Sudan has been working with the IMF to implement macroeconomic reforms including a managed float of the exchange rate and a large reserve of foreign exchange. A new currency, the Sudanese Pound, was introduced in January 2007 at an initial exchange rate of $1.00 equals 2 Sudanese Pounds. Sudan began exporting crude oil in the last quarter of 1999 and the economy boomed on the back of increases in oil production, high oil prices, and significant inflows of foreign direct investment until the second half of 2008. The Darfur conflict, the aftermath of two decades of civil war in the south, the lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and a reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture ensure much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years to come despite rapid rises in average per capita income. Sudan's real GDP expanded by 5.2% during 2010, an improvement over 2009's 4.2% growth but significantly below the more than 10% per year growth experienced prior to the global financial crisis in 2006 and 2007. While the oil sector continues to drive growth, services and utilities play an increasingly important role in the economy with agriculture production remaining important as it employs 80% of the work force and contributes a third of GDP. In the lead up to the referendum on southern secession, which took place in January 2011, Sudan saw its currency depreciate considerably on the black market with the Central Bank's official rate also losing value as the Sudanese people started to hoard foreign currency. The Central Bank of Sudan intervened heavily in the currency market to defend the value of the pound and the Sudanese government introduced a number of measures to restrain excess local demand for hard currency, but uncertainty about the secession has meant that foreign exchange remains in heavy demand.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
3.787 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Electricity - exports
[time series]
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - production
[time series]
4.323 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117
Exchange rates
[time series]
Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar - 2.36 (2010) 2.3 (2009) 2.1 (2008) 2.06 (2007) 2.172 (2006)
Exports
[time series]
$11.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 $8.473 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners
[time series]
China 68.3%, Japan 12.6%, India 5.8% (2010)
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$68.44 billion (2010 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP (purchasing power parity))
[time series]
$100 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $95.18 billion (2009 est.) $89.81 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 44.6% industry: 45.3% services: 10.2% (2010 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita (PPP))
[time series]
$2,300 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 184 $2,200 (2009 est.) $2,200 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
5.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 6% (2009 est.) 6.8% (2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
[time series]
$8.839 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $8.528 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 21.7%, Egypt 8%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, India 6.1%, UAE 5.7% (2010)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
3.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Industries
[time series]
oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
13% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211 11.2% (2009 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
[time series]
21.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Labor force
[time series]
11.92 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 80% industry: 7% services: 13% (1998 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
[time series]
$NA
Natural gas - consumption
[time series]
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Natural gas - exports
[time series]
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Natural gas - imports
[time series]
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Natural gas - production
[time series]
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - proved reserves
[time series]
84.95 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 57
Oil - consumption
[time series]
98,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76
Oil - exports
[time series]
383,900 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Oil - imports
[time series]
11,820 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Oil - production
[time series]
514,300 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Oil - proved reserves
[time series]
5 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Population below poverty line
[time series]
40% (2004 est.)
Public debt
[time series]
90.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 105.2% of GDP (2009 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$2.063 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 $897 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of broad money
[time series]
$14.53 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 $12.63 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
[time series]
$12.99 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $11.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money
[time series]
$7.875 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 $7.19 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
16.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Unemployment rate
[time series]
18.7% (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 1,861,484 sq km country comparison to the world: 16 land: NA water: NA
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Climate
[time series]
hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Coastline
[time series]
853 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Total water withdrawal
(Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural))
[time series]
total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%) per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
15 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
Irrigated land
[time series]
18,630 sq km (2008)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 6,751 km border countries: Central African Republic 175 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,275 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 769 km, Libya 383 km, South Sudan 2,184 km note: Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan
Land use
[time series]
arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA
Location
[time series]
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map references
[time series]
Africa
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
[time series]
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Natural resources
[time series]
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower
Terrain
[time series]
generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
154 cu km (1997)
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
15 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Jazira (Gezira), Al Khartoum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash Shimaliyya (Northern), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Kassala, Nahr an Nil (River Nile), Shimal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shimal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sinnar note: the Sudanese Government has announced the creation of two new states, Central Darfur and East Darfur, but they are not yet operational
Capital
[time series]
name: Khartoum geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
[time series]
Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005 note: under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Interim National Constitution was ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan was signed December 2005
Country name
[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
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert E. WHITEHEAD embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Street, Khartoum mailing address: P.O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829 telephone: [249] (183) 774700 through 704 FAX: [249] (183) 774137
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Emad Mirghani ALTOHAMY chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: election on 11-15 April 2010; next to be held in 2015 election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 68.2%, Yasir ARMAN 21.7%, Abdullah Deng NHIAL 3.9%, others 6.2% note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; colors and design based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I, but the meanings of the colors are expressed as follows: red signifies the struggle for freedom, white is the color of peace, light, and love, black represents Sudan itself (in Arabic 'Sudan' means black), green is the color of Islam, agriculture, and prosperity
Government type
[time series]
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); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in 1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulated national elections in 2009, but these were subsequently rescheduled; elections took place in April 2010 and the NCP was elected as the majority party; due to the CPA stipulations, there is also an autonomous government in Southern Sudan where SPLM holds the majority of positions.
Independence
[time series]
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008
International organization participation
[time series]
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Judicial branch
[time series]
Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary
Legal system
[time series]
mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law in the north, and primarily customary law in the south
Legislative branch
[time series]
bicameral National Legislature consists of a Council of States (50 seats; members indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms) and a National Assembly (450 seats; 60% from geographic constituencies, 25% from a women's list, and 15% from party lists; members to serve six-year terms) elections: last held on 11-15 April 2010 (next to be held in 2016) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 323, SPLM 99, PCP 4, DUP 4, UFP 3, URRP 2, DUPO 2, SPLM-DC 2, other 7, vacant 4
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan" (We Are the Army of God and of Our Land) lyrics/music: Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN note: adopted 1956; the song originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
secretary bird
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Democratic Unionist Party or DUP [Hatim al-SIR]; Democratic Unionist Party-Original or DUPO; National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Malik AGGAR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Democratic Change or SPLM-DC; Umma Federal Party or UFP; Umma Renewal and Reform Party or URRP
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]; Darfur rebel groups including the Justice and Equality Movement or JEM [Khalil IBRAHIM] and the Sudan Liberation Movement or SLM [various factional leaders]
Suffrage
[time series]
17 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than four million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years followed by a referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. The referendum was held in January 2011 and indicated overwhelming support for independence. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union in December 2007. Peacekeeping troops have struggled to stabilize the situation, which has become increasingly regional in scope and has brought instability to eastern Chad. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.
Military
Manpower available for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 10,433,973 females age 16-49: 10,411,443 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
[time series]
males age 16-49: 6,475,530 females age 16-49: 6,840,885 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
[time series]
male: 532,030 female: 512,476 (2010 est.)
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Land Forces, Navy (includes Marines), Sudanese Air Force (Sikakh al-Jawwiya as-Sudaniya), Popular Defense Forces (2011)
Military expenditures
[time series]
3% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory and voluntary military service; 1-2 year service obligation; a requirement that completion of national sevice was mandatory before entering public or private sector employment has been cancelled (2011)
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 9,696,726/female 9,286,894) 15-64 years: 55.2% (male 12,282,082/female 12,571,424) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 613,817/female 596,559) (2011 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
36.12 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
31.7% (2006) country comparison to the world: 15
Death rate
[time series]
11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 64% of population rural: 52% of population total: 57% of population unimproved: urban: 36% of population rural: 48% of population total: 43% of population (2008)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
NA
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Sudanese Arab (approximately 70%), Fur, Beja, Nuba, Fallata
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
1.1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
12,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
260,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
Health expenditure
(Health expenditures)
[time series]
7.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 71
Hospital bed density
[time series]
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 162
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 21 male: 68.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 67.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Languages
[time series]
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur note: program of "Arabization" in process
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 55.42 years country comparison to the world: 197 male: 54.18 years female: 56.71 years (2011 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Major urban areas - population
(Major cities - population)
[time series]
KHARTOUM (capital) 5.021 million (2009)
Major infectious diseases
[time series]
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Maternal mortality ratio
(Maternal mortality rate)
[time series]
750 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 14
Median age
[time series]
total: 18.5 years male: 18.1 years female: 18.9 years (2011 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Sudanese (singular and plural) adjective: Sudanese
Net migration rate
[time series]
-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
0.28 physicians/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 143
Population
[time series]
45,047,502 country comparison to the world: 29 note: includes the population of South Sudan (8,260,490); demographic data includes South Sudan (July 2011 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
2.484% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Religions
[time series]
Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 55% of population rural: 18% of population total: 34% of population unimproved: urban: 45% of population rural: 82% of population total: 66% of population (2008)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 4 years (2000)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
4.84 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 40% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 3.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring states; as of 2006, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda provided shelter for over half a million Sudanese refugees, which includes 240,000 Darfur residents driven from their homes by Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military forces; as of January 2011, Sudan, in turn, hosted about 138,700 Eritreans, 43,000 Chadians, and smaller numbers of Ethiopians; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia proceed slowly due to civil and ethnic fighting in eastern Sudan; Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republic
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 162,000 (Eritrea); 43,000 (Chad); 11,009 (Ethiopia) IDPs: more than 4 million (civil war 1983-2005; ongoing conflict in Darfur region) (2007)
Trafficking in persons
[time series]
current situation: Sudan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Sudanese women and girls, particularly those from rural areas or who are internally displaced, are vulnerable to forced labor as domestic workers in homes throughout the country; some of these women and girls are subsequently sexually abused by male occupants of the household or forced to engage in commercial sex acts; Sudanese women and girls are subjected to domestic servitude in Middle Eastern countries, such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and to forced sex trafficking in European countries; some Sudanese men who voluntarily migrate to the Middle East as low-skilled laborers face conditions indicative of forced labor; Sudanese children transit Yemen en route to Saudi Arabia, where they are used in forced begging and street vending, and reportedly work in exploitative labor situations for Sudanese traders in the Central African Republic; Sudan is a transit and destination country for Ethiopian and Eritrean women subjected to domestic servitude in Sudan and Middle Eastern countries; Sudan is a destination for Ethiopian, Somali, and possibly Thai women subjected to forced prostitution tier rating: Tier 3 - Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; while the government took some steps to identify, demobilize, and reintegrate child soldiers during the reporting period, combating human trafficking through law enforcement, protection, or prevention measures was not a priority (2011)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
116 (2011) country comparison to the world: 52
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2011)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 99 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 46 under 914 m: 37 (2011)
Heliports
[time series]
5 (2010)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 2 country comparison to the world: 144 by type: cargo 2 (2010)
Pipelines
[time series]
gas 156 km; oil 4,070 km; refined products 1,613 km (2010)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
Port Sudan
Railways
[time series]
total: 5,978 km country comparison to the world: 30 narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2010)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 11,900 km country comparison to the world: 131 paved: 4,320 km unpaved: 7,580 km (2000)
Waterways
[time series]
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2008) country comparison to the world: 25