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 4 million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than 2 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 2 million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths.

As of late 2006, 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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 39,379,358 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 8,371,628/female 8,016,880) 15-64 years: 56% (male 11,080,025/female 10,956,458) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 504,957/female 449,410) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 18.7 years male: 18.6 years female: 18.9 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.082% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 34.86 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 14.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.044 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.124 male(s)/female total population: 1.027 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 91.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 91.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.11 years male: 48.24 years female: 50.03 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 4.69 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.3% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 400,000 (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 23,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Sudanese (singular and plural) adjective: Sudanese

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

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

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

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, but it still faces formidable economic problems starting from its low level of per capita output. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, high oil prices, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at about 10% in 2006. Agricultural production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 35% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - resulting from the long-standing North/South civil war as well as the Darfur conflict, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years. In late 2006, the government announced its intention to introduce a new currency, the Sudan Pound, from January 2007 at an exchange rate of $1.00 equals 2 Sudanese Pounds.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $97.19 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $25.43 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 9.3% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,400 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35.5% industry: 24.8% services: 39.7% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 7.415 million (1996 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 7% services: 13% (1998 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 18.7% (2002 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 40% (2004 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 25.3% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $7.943 billion expenditures: $10.1 billion; including capital expenditures of $304 million (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 59.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock

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Industries: oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly

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Industrial production growth rate: 8.5% (1999 est.)

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Electricity - production: 3.845 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 3.576 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 344,700 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 66,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 279,100 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 7,945 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 1.6 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 84.95 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: -$4.51 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $7.505 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar

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Exports - partners: Japan 49.6%, China 32%, Saudi Arabia 3.1% (2006)

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Imports: $8.693 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat

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Imports - partners: China 18.1%, Saudi Arabia 9.2%, UAE 5.8%, Egypt 5.3%, Germany 5.2%, India 4.6%, France 4.1% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.552 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $29.69 billion (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $172 million (2001)

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Currency (code): Sudanese dinar (SDD)

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Exchange rates: Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 217.2 (2006), 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004), 260.98 (2003), 263.31 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year