Sudan is Known for...

●    Atrocities at Darfur and fleeing-for-their-lives refugees, unfortunately
●    Bokasi pickup trucks used for public transportation
●    Cities at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile Rivers
●    Desert land
●    Having more pyramids than Egypt!
●    Quiet but warm hospitality
●    Riverside palm groves

Most items were listed in The Africa Book; the MLA citation is below. What are other "trademarks" of this African country? Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment!

Phillips et al. The Africa Book: A Journey through Every
          Country in the Continent. Lonely Planet, 2007.

— #AfricaWeek —

Sudan Post is Updated

My Sudan post (↗) — link opens in a new tab or window — is updated with more information. Thanks for visiting GeoFact of the Day ... today and always!

Sudan Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org), the following items are major exports of SUDAN: bananas, chromium, copper, cotton, edible oil, footwear, gold, groundnuts (especially peanuts), gum arabic, iron (small amounts), livestock, mangoes, mica, papaya, petroleum and petroleum products, sesame seeds, silver, soap, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, tapioca, tungsten, and zinc. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include the United Arab Emirates (top importer), Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, France, Syria, Jordan, Singapore, Italy, Lebanon, Indonesia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Tunisia, Greece, and Denmark.

Happy Halloween!

UNESCO Heritage Sites in Sudan

Since 2003, three properties in northeastern Africa's SUDAN were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (↗). Before that, Sudan ratified the 1970 UNESCO Convention on June 6th, 1974. Meanwhile, five sites are on the Tentative List and have not yet been nominated for the coveted World Heritage Site designation — the port city of Suakin, Kerma the former capital city, Old Dongola the former capital city (of the Makouria Kingdom), Dinder National Park, and Wadi Howar National Park. Below are details pertaining to Sudan's three UNESCO Heritage Sites.

Gebel Barkal and Napatan Region (↗), 2003
UNESCO description: "These five archaeological sites, stretching over more than 60 kilometers in the Nile valley, are testimony to the Napatan (900 to 270 BC) and Meroitic (270 BC to 350 AD) cultures of the second kingdom of Kush. Tombs — with and without pyramids, temples, living complexes and palaces — are to be found on the site. Since Antiquity, the hill of Gebel Barkal has been strongly associated with religious traditions and folklore. The largest temples are still considered by the local people as sacred places." Present-day Gebel Barkal is located near the Nile River's western bank in the city of Karima.



Island of Meroë Archaeological Sites (↗), 2011
Located east of the Nile River in the River Nile state (wilayat) in northeastern Sudan, Meroë is particularly known for its smooth pyramids, animal sculptures (particularly of sheep), and petroglyphs. Did You Know? The general Meroë and Nubian Desert region in Sudan touts a larger number of pyramids compared to Egypt! Egypt has about 138 discovered pyramids, while Sudan has more than 220. Many of Egypt's versions are more famous due to their immense sizes.



Here is UNESCO's description of the Meroë site: "The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroë, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, was the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. The property consists of the royal city of the Kushite kings at Meroë, near the River Nile, the nearby religious site of Naqa and Musawwarat es Sufra. It was the seat of the rulers who occupied Egypt for close to a century and features, among other vestiges, pyramids, temples and domestic buildings as well as major installations connected to water management. Their vast empire extended from the Mediterranean to the heart of Africa, and the property testifies to the exchange between the art, architectures, religions, and languages of both regions."

Dungonab Bay, Sanganeb Reef, and Mukkawar Island (↗), 2016
UNESCO's official title for this bisected property is rather lengthy: "Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Marine National Park." Whatever you want to call it, these protected marine areas became officially designated — by the World Heritage Committee in Istanbul, Turkey — as one UNESCO site in July of 2016. Sanganeb is an isolated coral reef area in the Red Sea. Mukkawar (Mukawwar) Island and Dungonab Bay are both located approximately 125 kilometers north of Port Sudan. The whole property is known for its biodiverse beaches, coral reefs, islets, mangroves, and seagrass patches providing habitat for seabirds and various aquatic organisms (including dugongs).

Sudan Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for SUDAN in North Africa lists 1 extinct-in-the-wild species (Scimitar-horned Oryx), 12 critically endangered species, and 16 endangered species. The following species are critically endangered in Sudan: Addax, Dama Gazelle, Green Sawfish, Hawksbill Turtle, Hooded Vulture, Northern Bald Ibis, Nubian Flapshell Turtle, Medemia argun palm tree, Rüppell's Vulture, Sociable Lapwing (Sociable Plover) bird, White-Backed Vulture, and White-Headed Vulture. Endangered species in Sudan: African Wild Dog, Aloe sinkatana plant, Basra Reed Warbler, Egyptian Eagle (Egyptian Vulture), Gabal Elba Dragon Tree, Golden Sandfish, Great Hammerhead Shark, Grevy’s Zebra, Humphead Wrasse fish, Lappet-Faced Vulture, Prickly Redfish, Saker Falcon, Spotted Ground Thrush bird, Steppe Eagle, Waterwheel, and Whale Shark. Species named after Sudan include the Sudan Catfish, Sudan Gerbil, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Sudan Grassland Frog, and Sudan Squeaker upside-down catfish.

What in the World? Name that Continent

Situated in the Nubian Desert to the west of the Red Sea, I am Bir Tawil, a small four-sided area that is not claimed by the countries to the north (EGYPT) and south (SUDAN) of me. I am also located to the west of Hala’ib Triangle, a border dispute between the two countries. You will also find me to the southeast of Lake Nasser, a manmade lake created when the Aswan High Dam was built. On what continent am I on?















The answer is found below!


















Answer: AFRICA

Sudan: Africa's Former Largest Country

You might know that SUDAN was the largest country in Africa, but not anymore. On July 9th, 2011, South Sudan gained independence, taking a southern portion away from Sudan's total area. Additionally, Sudan no longer borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda. Algeria is now Africa's largest country.

Changes in Capital Cities Over the Years

Over the years, a few nations have changed their capitals. For example, PALAU changed its capital from Koror to Melekeok in 2006, while MYANMAR (Burma) changed its capital from Rangoon (Yangon) to Naypyidaw (Nay Pyi Taw). Other countries that changed their capitals include NIGERIA (Lagos » Abuja), TANZANIA (Dar es Salaam » Dodoma), YEMEN {Aden (capital of South Yemen) + Sana'a (capital of North Yemen) » Sanaa (capital of united Yemen)}, among many others. New countries obviously have formed, also; KOSOVO formed in 2008, while there is expected to be a new country on July 9, 2011. This new country, SOUTH SUDAN (the capital being Juba), is expected to formally become independent from SUDAN (Update: it did become independent in July 2011).

Sudan

Officially known as Republic of the Sudan or Jumhūriyyat al-Sūdān, SUDAN (السودان) is situated in Northeast Africa. Sudan is Africa's third largest country after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once the largest country in Africa, Sudan shrank in size when South Sudan achieved independence on July 9th, 2011. Since 2011, Sudan no longer shares a border with the DR Congo, Kenya, and Uganda. In its current size, Sudan borders seven countries: Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Egypt to the north, Eritrea to the east, Ethiopia to the southeast, Libya to the northwest, and South Sudan to the south. Subdivided into 100 qirsh (piastres), the currency is the Sudanese Pound — its ISO 4217 currency code is SDG. Since January 1st, 1956, Sudanese citizens annually celebrate Independence Day on New Year's Day to remember Sudan's independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom.

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  Sudan is home to approximately 40.5 million (40,500,000) citizens, according to GeoFact of the Day's 2018 population estimate. With over 5 million people in the metropolitan area and 720,000 people within the city limits (2018 population estimate), the national capital of Sudan is Khartoum. Across the Nile river and northwest of Khartoum is Omdurman (Umm Durman), the most-populated city in Sudan with approximately 2,440,000 people (2018 estimate). In the Nile river and between both cities is an island named Tuti or Tutti. Other cities and communities in Sudan include Al-Fashir (El Fasher, population 300,000), Al-Ubayyid (El Obeid, 450,000), Dongola (Dunqulah), Geneina (Al Junaynah), Kassala located near Eritrea (450,000), Nyala (600,000), and Port Sudan (500,000).

According to Ethnologue (↗), 75 main languages are used for communication in Sudan. English, Standard Arabic, and Sudanese-spoken Arabic are principal languages. Other languages many people use to communicate include Ama, Bedawiyet (Beja), Berta, Fur, Gaam, Kanuri, Koalib, Masalit, Nobiin, and Zaghawa (Zeggaoua). Berti and Birked are two extinct languages that are not used for speaking or writing anymore. Regarding the three nearly extinct languages in Sudan, about 200 people communicate in Kelo, 100 in Molo, and 1,500 in Talodi. About 70% of Sudan citizens are Muslims, followed by Christians (17%), believers in folk religions/traditions (11%), and Bahá'í believers (less than 1%).

● ● ● ● ●  Land Features  ● ● ● ● ●  The land of Sudan is dominated by the Sahara Desert in the north and center; mountains along the southern and western borders and near the Red Sea east of Sudan; plateaus and hilly areas all around; semi-arid grasslands in the southern half; and marshes along the White Nile river. The smaller-than-the-Sahara Libyan Desert occupies the northwestern portion of Sudan. In the Darfur region of western Sudan near Chad, the Jebel Marra volcanic field and Sahara Desert and the El Heitan and Teiga plateaus are prominent land features. According to Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program (↗), the last eruption at Jebel Marra was 2,000 BC/BCE. Types of rock found here include basalt, latite (trachyandesite), phonolite, trachybasalt, and trachyte.

Sudan's highest point is at a crater (caldera) in Jebel Marra. The Deriba Caldera sits 3,042 meters and 9,980 feet in elevation above sea level. The Nuba mountain range stretches across southern Sudan near South Sudan. Extending from the capital Khartoum in east-central Sudan northward to Lake Nasser (Lake Nubia) and the northern border of Sudan, the 1,400-kilometer Nile River meanders through northern Sudan. Near Khartoum in east-central Sudan, the Nile splits into the White Nile and Blue Nile tributaries. If you are sailing on the Nile from the capital city, the White Nile leads you to South Sudan and the Blue Nile leads you southeast toward Ethiopia.

● ● ● ● ●  Sudan's Border Disputes  ● ● ● ● ●  Sudan currently (as of April 2018) has two ongoing border disputes — one each on the south and north borders. South Sudan wants to have a polygonal piece of land called Abyei, shown as a small dotted square on the GeoFact of the Day map. This area is significant because of oil reserves. In northeastern Sudan, the Hala'ib Triangle is claimed by Sudan but controlled by Egypt. The Ilemi Triangle of Kenya used to be claimed by Sudan, but now that issue lies in the hands of South Sudan.

This post was comprehensively updated with more information on April 18, 2018.
The map of Sudan was added to this post on February 15, 2013.

Nile River

The Nile River is sometimes known as the longest river in the world — contending with the Amazon River for the longest river designation. The Nile River stretches for more than 4,100 miles and almost 6,600 miles long! The Nile and its major tributaries — the Blue Nile (east) and White Nile (south) — runs through 11 countries in Africa: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The northern and main portion of the Nile is found in Egypt and Sudan. The Blue Nile predominantly flows through Ethiopia and Sudan. The White Nile is especially wide in South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.