Sudan:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Sudan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition 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 2008, 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.

Location	Definition Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Geographic coordinates	Definition 15 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references	Definition Africa
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 2,505,810 sq km land: 2.376 million sq km water: 129,810 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land boundaries	Definition 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
Coastline	Definition 853 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate	Definition tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Terrain	Definition generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Red Sea 0 m highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Natural resources	Definition petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 6.78% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 93.05% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 18,630 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 154 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%) per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Environment - current issues	Definition inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Sudan: Geography

Sudan:
Geography