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
parliamentary republic
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
1829 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Greek 99% (official), other 1% (includes English and French)
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
External Debt
$38,580,000,000 $
$583,300,000,000 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
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
4.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
4
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Area
1,861,484 km sq
131,957 km sq
Coastline
853 km
13,676 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
