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 democracy
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
External Debt
$38,580,000,000 $
$38,370,000,000 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
lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.4701 (2008 est.), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
1.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
3
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Area
1,861,484 km sq
64,589 km sq
Coastline
853 km
498 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
