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
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
16 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
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
tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 120.25 (2008 est.), 122.55 (2007), 126.09 (2006), 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
1.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
13
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
Area
1,861,484 km sq
2,724,900 km sq
Coastline
853 km
0 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
