30 Interesting Facts About Sudan

  1. Sudan is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the 3rd largest and the 10th most populous country in Africa. It was the largest African country before the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
  2. The world’s first underwater village was constructed in 1963 in the Sudanese Red Sea, 35 km from Port Sudan. The depth of "Precontinent II" was from 7m to 45m. This abandoned underwater-living project is a visitors' paradise.
  3. According to archaeological records, the earliest known human settled in Sudan between 30,000 and 20,000 BCE.
  4. Sudan became part of Egypt in 1821. The religiously motivated Mahdists took hold of the country in 1885 after defeating the Ottoman-Egyptian forces.
  5. Sudan came under British rule in 1899. The country gained independence from Britain in 1956 and became a Republic.
  6. vast, ancient underground lake was discovered in Sudan’s Darfur area in 2007. This “megalake” spans over 19,110 sq m, three times the size of Lebanon. (Source)
  7. Sudan has the highest number of pyramids in the world. Compared to 138 pyramids in Egypt, there are more than 200 known pyramids in Sudan. These Sudanese pyramids are smaller and constructed around 500 years after the Egyptian pyramids. (Source)
    Pyramids in Sudan
    Sudan has highest number of pyramids in the world

  8. The First Sudanese Civil war between the northern and southern parts of the country started even before the independence in 1955. It ended after the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972.
  9. The Second Sudanese civil war continued from 1983 to 2005. It resulted in the separation of South Sudan after a referendum in 2011.
  10. Sudan is also facing conflicts in its western Darfur region (2003 to present) and southern parts of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile (2011 to the present).
  11. The blue Nile and the white Nile are the two main tributaries of the Nile River. They meet at Khartoum (Sudanese capital) to form the Nile River.
  12. Sudan is the 6th most corrupt country in the world. The CPI (corruption perception index) score of Sudan is only 16. (Source)
  13. The rank of Sudan in press freedom is 170 out of the total 179 countries. It has the 3rd worst record in Africa after Somalia (175) and Eritrea (179). (Source)
  14. There are more than 1 million refugees in Sudan. Most of these refugees belong to South Sudan. (Source)  
  15. Around 70% of Sudanese are Arab. Arabic and English are the two official languages. The most spoken language in the country is Sudanese Arabic.
  16. More than 90% of Sudanese are Sunni Muslims. The remaining population follows traditional beliefs and Christianity. 
  17. Christianity arrived in Sudan during the 6th Century. The large-scale Arab migration into Sudan during the 15th Century and their missionary work converted the religion of the land from Christianity to Islam by the 17th Century.
  18. Sudan has one of the highest female circumcision rates in the world. Around 87% of women between 14 and 49 years undergo this procedure. In 2020, Sudan criminalized FGM (female genital mutilation). (Source)
  19. The name Sudan is from the Arabic term bilad al-sudan, which means “land of the blacks.”
  20. Haboob is a strong sandstorm and dust storm common in several deserts around the world. It is most prominent in Sudan and usually blows in the summer season for three hours. (Source)
  21. After bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the United States struck targets with cruise missiles in Sudan and Afghanistan in 1998. The strikes in Sudan destroyed a pharmaceutical plant. (Source)
  22. Sudan is famous for its vast arable land and large number of livestock. It is therefore known as a food basket of the Arab world.
  23. Alcohol became completely illegal in Sudan in 1983, and the decision was celebrated by throwing whisky bottles in the Nile. In 2020, the ban on alcohol was lifted for non-Muslims. (Source)
    Different parts of gum Arabic plant
    Sudan produces and exports most gum Arabic

  24. Sudan is the world’s largest producer and exporter of gum Arabic. It exports 66% of total gum Arabic in the world. (Source)
  25. Gold and crude petroleum are the top exports of Sudan. The country is the world’s biggest exporter of other oily seeds, groundnut meal, sheep and goats. (Source)
  26. Sudan remained under military rules for the majority period after independence. The military rule continued from 1958 to 1964, 1969 to 1985, and 1989 to 2019.
  27. In 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the then Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He was the first sitting head of state to receive such a warrant from ICC. (Source)
  28. Osama bin Laden remained in Sudan for five years before his expulsion in 1996 due to American pressure. He invested heavily in Sudan during his stay in the country. After his departure to Afghanistan, the Sudanese government seized all his businesses worth millions of pounds. (Source)
  29. Lake Nasser, a large reservoir, has the 4th largest storage capacity in the world. Around 15% of this lake is in Sudan, where it is known as Lake Nubia.
  30. The blue bell, a large cargo ship, sunk near Port Sudan in the 1970s. It was carrying a cargo of Toyota vehicles, known as the blue bell wreck or the Toyota’s wreck. This site is famous as the best diving spot in the world, thanks to its location and visibility.

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