POPULATION 37,090,298
MUSLIM 70 percent
AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS 18–20 percent
CHRISTIAN 10–12 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

With an area of 967,491 square miles, the Republic of the Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It borders Libya and Egypt to the north; the Red Sea, Eritrea, and Ethiopia to the east; Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south; and the Central African Republic and Chad to the west.

The country is characterized by a flat plain, with the Darfur Highlands on the west and the Red Sea Hills in the east. The Sudan has an extremely warm climate, and the northern quarter is part of the Sahara. Grasslands prevail in the central section, while the south, where there is more abundant rainfall, is covered with shrubs, broadleaf trees, and grass. The Red Sea Hills have extensive savannahs of euphorbia.

The Sudan is primarily an agricultural country. Livestock rearing...