Chad Central Africa Sudan

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Sudan, located in northeastern Africa on the western coast of the Red Sea, is the largest country in Africa in terms of area. It borders Libya and Egypt to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Kenya to the south, Chad and the Central African Republic to the west, and Ethiopia to the east. It faces the Red Sea to the northeast. The country covers an area of 2,505,800 square kilometers, with a coastline of approximately 720 kilometers. Most of the territory is a basin, with higher elevations in the south and lower elevations in the north. The central region is the Sudan Basin; the northern part is a desert plateau, with the Nubian Desert to the east of the Nile and the Libyan Desert to the west; the western part is the Corando Plateau and the Darfur Plateau; and the eastern part is the western slope of the Ethiopian Plateau and the East African Plateau. The Kinjeti Mountains on the southern border, with an elevation of 3,187 meters, are the highest peak in the country. The Nile River runs north to south through the entire territory. The country has a tropical desert climate and a tropical grassland climate. Population: 34.47 million (estimated for 1999). The country has 19 ethnic groups and 597 tribes. Arabs account for approximately 39%, while the rest are Black Africans. The southern region accounts for 25% of the total population. Arabic is the official language, spoken by 60% of the population. English is widely used. Over 70% of the residents are Muslim, mostly Sunni, primarily living in the north. Southern residents mostly adhere to traditional tribal religions and animism. Only 5 people practice Christianity, mostly living in the south and the capital, Khartoum. The population growth rate is 2.7%, with an average life expectancy of 56.4 years. Children under 14 account for 45% of the total population.