Sudan is a country in northeastern Africa, where the Sahara meets the Sahel and the waters of the Blue and White Nile join at its capital. Once the largest country in Africa, before the south split away to form South Sudan, it is the land of ancient Nubia, a civilisation that rivalled and at times ruled Egypt. A nation of deep history and great diversity, Sudan has been deeply scarred by decades of conflict.
Along the Nile in Sudan rose the ancient kingdoms of Nubia, or Kush, with cities at Kerma, Napata, and Meroe, whose rulers grew so powerful that they conquered Egypt and reigned as pharaohs. The land later embraced Christianity and then Islam, and was home to Muslim sultanates. In the nineteenth century it came under Egyptian and then British control, against which the Mahdist revolt briefly triumphed. Sudan gained independence in 1956, and in 2011 its southern region seceded to become South Sudan.
Sudan is shaped by the Nile, which flows north through the country toward Egypt, its two great branches, the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian highlands and the White Nile from the African lakes, meeting at Khartoum. Away from the river the land is mostly desert in the north and dry grassland, or Sahel, to the south, with mountains in a few regions. The fertile strip along the Nile has supported civilisation here for thousands of years.
The flag of Sudan has three horizontal bands of red, white, and black, with a green triangle at the hoist. These are the pan-Arab colours, shared with many nations of the region, symbolising in turn struggle and sacrifice, peace and optimism, the people, and the land and Islam. Adopted after a change of government in the late 1960s, the flag expresses Sudan's identity within the Arab and Islamic world.
The great majority of Sudanese are Muslims, following the Sunni tradition, and Islam has shaped the law and culture of the north for centuries, often expressed through Sufi brotherhoods. After the largely Christian and traditionally religious south separated to form South Sudan in 2011, the remaining country became more religiously uniform. Faith remains central to Sudanese identity, woven through daily life, festivals, and a long tradition of Islamic learning.
Sudanese cuisine combines African, Arab, and Egyptian influences in simple, hearty fare. A staple is kisra, a thin fermented flatbread made from sorghum, eaten with stews and sauces. Ful medames, slow-cooked fava beans, is a common breakfast shared with the wider region, and dishes of meat, beans, and vegetables seasoned with peanut paste are widespread. Strong, spiced coffee and tea are central to a culture of warm hospitality.
Agriculture is the backbone of Sudan's economy and employs much of its population, sustained by the Nile and seasonal rains. The country grows sorghum and millet as staples, along with wheat, cotton, sesame, and sugar, and it keeps large herds of livestock. Sudan is also the world's leading producer of gum arabic, a natural gum harvested from acacia trees that is used in foods, drinks, and industry around the world, an unusual and important export.
The Nubian kingdoms, whose rulers governed Egypt as the so-called Black Pharaohs and who left more pyramids than Egypt itself, are Sudan's proudest ancient legacy. In modern times the country won independence in 1956 but was torn by long civil wars between the north and south, which ended with the secession of South Sudan in 2011, as well as a devastating conflict in the western region of Darfur. A popular uprising in 2019 overthrew a long-ruling leader.
Sudan has a population of around 48 million people, a mix of Arab and many indigenous African groups, a diversity that has at times been a source of conflict. Most people live along the Nile and in the central regions, and the largest urban area is the capital, Khartoum, set where the two Niles meet. The country has endured repeated upheaval, including a major armed conflict beginning in 2023 that displaced millions and brought renewed hardship.
