Head of state: King Juan Carlos I Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
Population
34,206,710
47,042,984
Life Expectancy
62.570 years
81.270 years
Capital City
Khartoum
Madrid
Largest city
Khartoum (population: 1,974,650)
Madrid (population: 3,117,980)
Human Development Index
0.526
0.949
GDP per capita
$2,800 US
$31,000 US
Literacy Rate
61.1%
97.9%
Corruption Perception Index
1.6
6.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
16.8%
33.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Amancio Ortega ($18.3bn US)
Unemployment Rate
18.700%
21.700%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
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 monarchy
Independence date
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
External Debt
$38,580,000,000 $
$2,570,000,000,000 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
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%
1.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
18
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Area
1,861,484 km sq
505,370 km sq
Coastline
853 km
4,964 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
