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)
1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Languages
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
cotton, gold, energy products, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textiles, food products, machinery, automobiles
External Debt
$38,580,000,000 $
$8,570,000,000 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
Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 1,317 (2008 est.), 1,263.8 (2007), 1,219.8 (2006), 1,020 (2005), 971.265 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
3.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
6
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Area
1,861,484 km sq
447,400 km sq
Coastline
853 km
0 km
Climate
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
