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 stipulates national elections in 2009
federal parliamentary democracy
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
External Debt
$39,700,000,000 $
$1,466,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar - 2.1 (2008 est.), 2.06 (2007), 2.172 (2006), 2.4361 (2005), 2.5791 (2004) note: in October 2007 Sudan redenominated its currency by transforming 100 units of Sudanese dinar into one unit of Sudanese pound
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
4.200%
3.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
46
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Area
1,861,484 km sq
7,741,220 km sq
Coastline
853 km
25,760 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
