Sudan (2006) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | 25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile), Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah (El Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah (Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb al Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei), Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal (Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shamal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (Eastern Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 8,993,483/female 8,614,022)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 11,327,679/female 11,297,798) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 536,754/female 466,642) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,301; female 3,184)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,696; female 6,036) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 327; female 412) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | 88 (2006) | 8 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006) |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 73
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 37 under 914 m: 17 (2006) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 2,505,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km water: 129,810 sq km |
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years, after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A separate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million displaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 34.53 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $6.182 billion
expenditures: $5.753 billion; including capital expenditures of $304 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997-98 est.) |
Capital | name: Khartoum
geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) |
Climate | tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November) | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 853 km | 389 km |
Constitution | 12 April 1973; suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA, Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan signed December 2005 | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan local short form: As-Sudan former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $27.34 billion (2005 est.) | NA (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Cameron HUME
embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829 telephone: [249] (183) 774701 FAX: [249] (183) 774137 note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum; consular services are being established in Juba (southern Sudan) |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, Ad Interim Khidir HAROUN (since April 2001)
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-twentieth century have penetrated all of its border states that provide shelter for fleeing refugees and cover to disparate domestic and foreign conflicting elements; since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and Sudanese military have driven about 200,000 Darfur region refugees into eastern Chad; large numbers of Sudanese refugees have also fled to Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; southern Sudan provides shelter to Ugandans seeking periodic protection from soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by civil and ethnic fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary extends into the southern Sudan, creating the "Ilemi Triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is economically developing the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of the Treaty Line; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations from the Central African Republic along the border | have received Haitians fleeing economic collapse and civil unrest |
Economic aid - recipient | $172 million (2001) | $4.1 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 8.6% in 2004. Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force, contributing 39% of GDP, and accounting for most of GDP growth, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from the long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the Christian/pagan south, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in 2002. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.943 billion kWh (2003) | 4.65 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 3.165 billion kWh (2003) | 5 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1% | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% |
Exchange rates | Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004), 260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002), 258.7 (2001) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | 275,000 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | China 71.1%, Japan 12%, Saudi Arabia 2.8% (2005) | US, UK |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 38.7%
industry: 20.3% services: 41% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8% (2005 est.) | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 N, 30 00 E | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) |
Heliports | 1 (2006) | - |
Highways | - | total: 121 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | China 20.7%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 5.9%, Egypt 5.5%, Japan 5.1%, India 4.8% (2005) | US, UK |
Independence | 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 8.5% (1999 est.) | NA |
Industries | oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 61.88 deaths/1,000 live births female: 60.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9% (2005 est.) | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Irrigated land | 18,630 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 7.415 million (1996 est.) | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry: 7% services: 13% (1998 est.) |
about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services |
Land boundaries | total: 7,687 km
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.78%
permanent crops: 0.17% other: 93.05% (2005) |
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
note: program of "Arabization" in process |
English (official) |
Legal system | based on English common law and Shari'a law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Shari'a law in the northern states; Shari'a law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under the CPA following the civil war; Shari'a law will not apply to the southern states | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
Legislative branch | bi-cameral body comprising the National Assembly and Council of States (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats); pending elections and National Election Law, the Presidency appointed 450 members to the National Assembly according to the provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement: 52% NCP; 28% SPLM; 14% other Northerners; 6% other Southerners; 2 representatives from every state constitute the Council of States; terms in each chamber are five years following the first elections
elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2008-2009 timeframe) election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement |
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 58.92 years
male: 57.69 years female: 60.21 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 74.25 years
male: 72.05 years female: 76.57 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,326 GRT/14,068 DWT
by type: cargo 1, livestock carrier 1 registered in other countries: 2 (Panama 1, Saudi Arabia 1) (2006) |
none |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $587 million (2001 est.) (2004) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (1999) (2004) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 1 January (1956) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sudanese |
noun: none
adjective: none |
Natural hazards | dust storms and periodic persistent droughts | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | -0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
People - note | - | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US |
Pipelines | gas 156 km; oil 3,930 km; refined products 1,613 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | political parties in the Government of National Unity include: National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed OMAR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI] | NA |
Population | 41,236,378 (July 2006 est.) | 19,956 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2004 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.55% (2006 est.) | 3.03% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Grand Turk, Providenciales |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2005) |
- |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum) | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000) |
general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 670,000 (2005) | 5,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.828 million (2005) | 1,700 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (1997) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004) |
Terrain | generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | 4.72 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 18.7% (2002 est.) | 10% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | 4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2005) | - |