Sudan Country Overview
Where is Sudan located? The Republic of Sudan is a country in north-eastern Africa, which is the largest country in Africa in terms of area. The former British colony has been independent since 1956. On the time zone map, Sudan is in the time zone called “East Africa Time”. In this world time zone there is a time difference of +3 hours to the world time (UTC). This means that the clocks there are 3 hours later than those of the world time. Even in the summer months, there is a difference of UTC+3, since a time change to summer time is not common.
Bordering Countries of Sudan
According to abbreviationfinder, Sudan is a large country located in North-East Africa, bordering the Red Sea. It is bordered by seven countries including Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and Libya.
Egypt is located to the north of Sudan and shares a long border of over 1,200 km with the country. The two countries have close ties due to their shared cultural heritage and the Nile River which connects them both. Furthermore, Egypt has been a major trade partner for Sudan for centuries and recently both countries have been working together on infrastructure projects such as roads and ports.
Eritrea is located to the east of Sudan and shares a border of 605 km with it. Despite its small size compared to Sudan, Eritrea has had an important influence on its neighbour’s history due to its strategic location on the Red Sea. The two countries have strong economic ties due to their shared access to international maritime trade routes.
Ethiopia is located south of Sudan and shares a border of 744 km with it. Ethiopia has had a deep cultural influence on its neighbour throughout history due to its close proximity as well as shared religious beliefs among many people in both countries. Recently both countries have been working together on regional development projects such as improving infrastructure links between them.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Sudan is 45,561,556, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 45,561,556 |
| Population growth rate | 2.69% |
| Birth rate | 27.90 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 62.95 years |
| Men life expectancy | 60.93 years |
| Women life expectancy | 65.07 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 43.07% |
| 15-64 years | 53.95% |
| 65 years and above | 2.98% |
| Median age | 19.30 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 1.02 |
| Population density | 24.48 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 38.90% |
| Ethnicities | |
| predominantly (approx. 70%) Arab-Islamic population group, Nubian groups; Rasheida and Beja (in the east); Beggara, Fur, Zaghawa (in the west) and others | |
| Religions | |
| Sunnis 70% (in the north), indigenous religions 25%, Christians 5% (mainly in the south and Khartoum) | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.508 |
| HDI ranking | 168th out of 194 |
People in Sudan
The population figures for Sudan are not so easy to determine, because here there are only figures for the period before 2011, the year of the split from South Sudan, which is now a separate state. Today we assume a number of 42 million people in the north, i.e. in Sudan, and a number of 11 million in South Sudan.
40 out of 100 residents are between 0 and 14 years old. The average age is just 19 years. A woman in Sudan has an average of 4.3 children.
34 out of 100 people live in cities and most of them in the capital Khartoum. Around eight million people live in Khartoum and its suburbs.
Multi-ethnic Sudan
Sudan is a multi-ethnic state in which around 15 larger and many other, smaller ethnic groups live. In the north there are mainly Arabs whose religion is Islam. This includes 70 out of 100 people.
Also predominantly in the north live Nubians and Beggara, who mainly move through the country as nomads with their cattle. For example, the Fur live in the west. The Rashaida and the Bedscha live in the east. In the south-west, the Nuba live in the Nuba Mountains, and they also belong to Islam. And in the south there are also Nilots.
Languages in Sudan
The official languages in Sudan are English and Arabic. Arabic is spoken by around half of the population, especially in the north of the country. But there are also many other languages. Each ethnic group has its own language. Nubian, Bari, Bedscha or Azande are examples.
Religions in Sudan
Most people are of the Islamic faith and have developed their own forms of belief. Many people believe in Allah, but also worship saints or spirits or even the Virgin Mary. That would be unthinkable in other Islamic countries. Followers of other religions also live in the south, such as Christians.