chancery:
2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 338-8565 through 8570
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald K. PETTERSON
embassy:
Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum
mailing address:
P. O. Box 699, Khartoum, or APO AE 09829
telephone:
74700 or 74611
FAX:
Telex 22619
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

*Sudan, Economy

Overview:
Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse
weather, high inflation, a drop in remittances from abroad, and
counterproductive economic policies. The economy is dominated by
governmental entities that account for more than 70% of new investment. The
private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with
most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is
agriculture, which employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes
agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past decade,
attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has reduced levels of per
capita income and consumption. A large foreign debt and huge arrearages
continue to cause difficulties. In 1990 the International Monetary Fund took
the unusual step of declaring Sudan noncooperative because of its nonpayment
of arrearages to the Fund. Despite subsequent government efforts to
implement reforms urged by the IMF and the World Bank, the economy remained
stagnant in FY91 as entrepreneurs lack the incentive to take economic risks.
Growth in 1992 was featured by the recovery of agricultural production in
northern Sudan after two years of drought.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $5.2 billion (FY92 est.)
National product real growth rate:
9% (FY92 est.)
National product per capita:
$184 (FY92 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
150% (FY92 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (FY92 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $505 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$315 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
commodities:
cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts
partners:
Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3%
(FY88)
Imports:
$1.3 billion (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, petr