|  The Republic
of the Sudan is located
in the Northeast region of Africa; bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Total area: 1,670,540 sq. km after South-Sudan's
partition as per July 9, 2011. (Partition line in white on the map at the left
side of this paragraph.)
Bordering
countries: Central African Republic
over 385 km, Chad over 1,360 km, The
Republic of South-Sudan over
1,508 km, Egypt over 1,273 km, Eritrea over
605 km, Ethiopia over 850 km, and
Libya over 383 km.
Coastline: 853 km
Population: 28,079,000 (July 2011) - after the partition
of the Republic of South-Sudan, as per July 9, 2011.
Population growth
rate: 2.143%
(2009)
Ethnic groups: Blacks 52%,
Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 98%, Christian 2% - mostly in
Khartoum.
Capital: Khartoum
Independence from Egypt and UK : January 1, 1956
National holiday: Independence Day: January
1
Constitution: April
12, 1973, suspended following coup of April 6, 1985; interim constitution of
October 10,1985 suspended following coup of June 30, 1989; new constitution
implemented on June 30, 1998 partially suspended December 12, 1999 by President
Bashir.
Natural resources: petroleum; small reserves
of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Agricultural productions: cotton, groundnuts,
sorghum, millet, wheat, Arabic gum, sesame; sheep
Industrial
productions: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap
distilling, shoes, petroleum refining
For decades, dating from the independence from UK and Egypt on January 1, 1956,
the successive Sudan's governments, dominated by Sunni Muslims,
relentlessly ruled and acted to imposing the Muslim law of Sharia upon the Southern
region's inhabitants who are Christians or African traditional religion practitioners.
Consequently, southerners staged revolts to resist, that led to a lengthy
civil war (1983- 2001) between Northerners, and South's rebels groups -
the most important one being the one led by John Garang - that is the Sudan
People's Liberation Movement / Army.
The civil war claimed more than 2 million
people and dislodged more than 4 million people from their home in the southern
part of the country.
The war had also, in many
ways, hampered the economic development of the country.
For instance,
there are chronic shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment because
education and training have not been developed accordingly; and bulk of industrial
investment and infrastructure - except for the new oil sector - dated back to
the 1980's. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading.
 The
Sudanese government worked with foreign partners - Malaysia, China, and
western countries companies, to develop the oil sector. The production level
is currently at the date of writing this brief (July 2011) producing approximately
400,000 barrels per day See Graph at the left side courtesy of: USA's
Energy Information Administration
WEALTH AND POWER SHARING AGREEMENT
Beginning of year 2004, Government and Rebels reached a
Wealth
Sharing Agreement, that stated that southern Sudan oil revenues will
be shared between the government and the southern rebels, during a transitional
period of 6 years following the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. In
fact, the Agreement gave South-Sudan economic independence.
Finally,
on July 9, 2005 the Sudanese (Northern) Government led by Umar al-Bashir and
John Garang' Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (S.P.L.M./A.) signed a Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (C.P.A.). A consecration for John Garang fight for the dignity
and economic sovereignty of Southerners. John Garang, was sworn in as First Vice
President, while Umar al-Bashir retained the presidency of Africa’s largest
country in a new Sudanese government of national unity.
John Garang died on
July 30, 2005 in a copter accident. Click
here for John Garang's biography. And Sylva n Kiir took over the destiny
of South Sudan, leading the new republic to independence on July 9, 2011.
NOW WHAT?
The government of Sudan, was the first to recognize, at midnight Friday 8, 2011,
the independence of South Sudan proclaimed in Juba, on July 9,
2011.
 So, apparently the partition had been completed in good atmosphere between Sudan's
government and
the new state led by Sylva Kiir
The near future would give more
precision about the relationship between the two entities as oil production,
transportation and export may become a big apple discord.
Indeed, 90% percent of the production come from wells located in the south, but
the export pipelines are north oriented - from the wells in South-Sudan to Port
Sudan - as shown on the image at the left side of this paragraph.
South Sudan's authorities are planning for a new south oriented export pipeline
to the port of Mombassa in Kenya. What would be the reaction of Sudan's authorities?
The near future would tell.
Click here
for dynamic news headlines on Sudan.
TOP
|
| Figures
below outlined have been compounded before the partition between South
Sudan and Sudan on July 9, 2011.
| Years |
2000 |
2002 |
2005 |
2008 |
2010 |
| GDP - billion US$ |
9.95 |
11.40 |
12.70 |
14.06 |
15.54 |
| Percent Increase |
14.5 |
11.39 |
9.9 |
10.5 |
11.2 |
Click
here for the difference between GNP and Parity Purchasing Power
GNP-composition by
sector
-
agriculture:
37%
- industry:
18%
- services:
45%
Exports: US$
13.620 billion (fob, 2008) US$
Commodities: cotton,
sesame, livestock, groundnuts, crude oil, Arabic gum
Exports
- partners: China 82.1%, Japan 8.4%, UAE 2.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%
(2007)
Imports: US$
7.755 billion (fob, 2008)
Commodities: foodstuffs,
petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment,
medicines and chemicals, textiles.
Imports
- partners: China 27.9%, Saudi Arabia 7.5%, India 6.3%, Egypt 5.6%,
UAE 5.5%, Japan 4.2% (2007)
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THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN - BRIEFS
