frican 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.

Geography
Sudan

Location:

Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 2,505,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km
water: 129,810 sq km

Area - comparative:

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

Coastline:

853 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

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

Terrain:

generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast
and west; desert dominates the north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 6.78%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 93.05% (2005)

Irrigated land:

18,630 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

154 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%)
per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Environment - current issues:

inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations
threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification;
periodic drought

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous