SUDAN THE COUNTRY

Fancy a little history and geography lesson …. read on, if not skip and move onto the next blog entry.(Source:www.worldmapmaker.com)

The Flag (adopted 20 May 1970)

Flag: consists of 3 horizontal stripes - the top stripe is red, the middle stripe is white and the bottom stripe is black.On the left side of the flag there is a horizontal green triangle pointing towards the middle.

Meaning: red, white, black and green are the pan-African colours and have historically been linked to the Arab people and the Islamic religion for centuries.The colours stand for Arab unity and independence.Red represents Sudan's struggle for independence. And the sacrifices of the country's martyrs.White presents peace, light and optimism.Black represents Sudan - in Arabic "Sudan" means black.It also represents the black flag of nationalists who fought colonial rule during the Mahdist Revolution in the late 19th century.Green represents Islam, agriculture and the prosperity of the land.

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 four million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than two million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years. After which, a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly two million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union on 31 December 2007. As of early 2009, peacekeeping troops were struggling to stabilize the situation, which has become increasingly regional in scope, and has brought instability to eastern Chad, and Sudanese incursions into the Central African Republic. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

Area: total:total: 2,505,810 sq km land: 2.376 million sq km water: 129,810 sq km- slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

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

Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Natural resources: petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Population: 41 million (2009)

Nationality: Sudanese

Ethnic groups: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%

Languages: Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages note: program of "Arabization" in process

Government type: 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

Capital: Khartoum

Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956

Currency: Sudanese pounds (SDG) Sudan redenominated its currency by transforming 100 units of Sudanese dinar into one unit of Sudanese pound

Exchange Sudanese pounds (SDG) per US dollar -2.42 (2009)