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
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
21 September 1964 (from UK)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Roman Catholic 98%
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Maltese (official) 90.2%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.8% (2005 census)
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 - 0.6494 (2008 est.), 0.6795 (January 2008), Maltese liri per US dollar - 0.3106 (2007), 0.37 (2006), 0.34578 (2005), 0.34466 (2004), 0.37723 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
4.200%
0.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
Area
1,861,484 km sq
316 km sq
Coastline
853 km
197 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
