Sudan

=The Sudan = ** Capital: ** Khartoum **Military:** The Sudan People's Armed Forces has 394,250 troops and 95,000 reserved troops in their army. The Sudanese has air borne systems, helicopters, fighters, transport aircraft, artillery pieces, and light weapons. Sudan has a weapon industry that supplies most of their military equipment. And receives some equipment from China and Russia. In their military they have the Army, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Force, Joint Integrated Units, Special Forces, Border Patrol, and Early Reation Forces. The military expenditures (in dollars) $3 billion (2001 est.). **Geography:**   ANIMALS
 * Population:** 42,292,929 (2007 Estimate)
 * Area: ** 2,505,813 sq km (967,495 sq mi)
 * Languages: ** Official: Arabic Other: English and over 100 traditional languages
 * Life Expectancy: ** 59.3 years
 * Literacy Rate: ** 61% (2003 estimate)
 * Birth Rate :** 33.9/1000
 * Death Rate: ** 13.64/1,000 (2008 estimate)
 * Motto: ** "Victory Is Ours"
 * Anthem: ** "We Are The Army of God and Our Land"
 * Critically Endangered
 * Addax
 * Burton's Gerbil
 * Four-spotted Gerbil
 * Lowe's Gerbil
 * Principal Gerbil
 * Endangered
 * Dama Gazelle
 * Giant African Water Shrew
 * Grevys zebra
 * Nubian Ibex
 * Slender-horned gazelle
 * Wild dog
 * Vulnerable
 * African Elephant
 * Barbary Sheep
 * Cheetah
 * Desert Pipistrelle
 * Dorcas Gazelle
 * Dugong
 * Large-eared Free-tailed Bat
 * Lesser Horseshoe Bat
 * Lion
 * Red-fronted Gazelle
 * Soemmerring's Gazelle
 * Spotted-necked Otter
 * Tomb Bat Species

**__Economy__:** One US Dollar equals  2.39270 Sudanese pound s. ** __Climate__: ** In the south it is tropical; in the north there is an arid desert; rainy season varies by region (May to November) ** __Capital__: ** The capital of Sudan is Khartoum, which means "elephant's trunk" in Arabic. It is also located where the White River and Blue River meet. It is also said to get its name from the thin part of land where the rivers meet, which resembles an elephant's trunk. Khartoum was first established as a military outpost in 1821, and grew rapidly in prosperity during the years of the slave trade(between 1825 and 1880). Explorers from Europe also used it as a base for their African expeditions. Khartoum became the capital of the Sudan in 1834. It is also one of three sister cities; the other two cities are Omduran and North Khartoum, both located near the Blue Nile and White Nile. __Education__: ** The literacy rate in Sudan is 61%. In Sudan there are universities, public schools, and private schools. Which areprimary school, intermediate school, govrnment secondary schools, and higher education.In earlier times a very small percent of the country's budget was used for education. And also the literacy rate has only risen by about 30%. The country's education has been getting better over the years. Culture: __ Ethnicities:** 52% of the population is black, 39% is Arab, 6% is Beja, 2% are foreign, and the other 1% is made of other ethnicities. There are more than 50 tribes such as the Jamala, the Nubians, the Azande, and the Shilluk. Many have their own specific beliefs and speak their own dialects, but there are shared aspects from tribe to tribe.
 * __Other Major Cities__:** The main city in Sudan other than the capital is Omdurman, which has a population of one and a half million people. It is situated on the western bank of the Nile and is a suburb to Khartoum. It is also very important to market activities, and people go there to trade goods. Other major cities in Sudan include Port Sudan, Kassala, Al-Ubayyid, and Nyala.
 * __History:__ ** Sudan was once the kingdom Nubia and was conquered by the Egyptians in 2600 B.C. And in 350 A.D. a civilization called Kush flourished. Christanity came to Sudan, but Muslim Arabs who controlled the area replaced it with Isam. Many different groups controlled Sudan until 1874 when Egypt again conquered Sudan. But Britain took Egypt in 1882 and in 1898 Britain conquered Sudan. Sudan was granted independence from Britain on January 1, 1956. Sudan now had a self-government. Since they have had many different governments and militart regimes. Sudan had a civil war between the north and south. Because of slavery; Arab raiders from the north had been taking slaves from the south. Mostly black people were taken. When the war ended 2 million people died. It ended becasue of peace negotiations. The war ended in 2004; it had lasted 20 years.
 * __Government__: **
 * __


 * Food:** Food is very important in Sudanese culture. Millet is a staple and is often eaten in the form of porridge called asida or flatbread called kisra. People eat vegetables such as beans, sweet potatoes, and corn and fruits such as dates, mangos, and bananas. Most people do not eat meat because it is very expensive. Only on special occasions might a sheep be killed for meat. Coffee and tea are also a very large part of a person’s diet and are commonly drunk. Food is important in etiquette as well. Many visits include a full meal. People eat out of one serving bowl with their right hands. People eat at a low table surrounded by pillows, if they are Muslim.


 * Religions:** 70% of the population is Sunni Muslim, 25% follow traditional beliefs, and the other 5% is Christian. Religions vary by location. People in the north are typically Muslim. People in the south are Christian and typically wealthy. The people who follow traditional beliefs live mainly in the south and belong to tribes. There beliefs vary from tribe to tribe and by location. However, they believe in many gods and usually give objects in nature spirits. They respect anccestors and believe that they influence daily life. In some tribes, the cow is held sacred and may be sacrificed in certain ceremonies.


 * Architecture:** Architecture is varied through out the different regions of Sudan. There are houses with mud walls, flat roofs, and decorated doors in the northern desert, and straw huts in the south. Much of the country’s buildings are made from mud bricks and have a courtyard. There are many nomadic tribes in Sudan who use tents made of materials varying from goat hair to palm fibers. The type of architecture also reflects financial situation. Typically, the farther north you go, the better off the people are, and so the buildings are better quality.

__ Islamic Celebrations :__** Some Islamic celebrations are Ramadan and the Feast of the Great Sacrifice. During Ramadan, people fast for one month. At the end of the month, the fast is broken at the feast of Eid al Fitr. On the feast day people exchange gifts and eat a large family meal. During the feast of the great sacrifice, a sheep is sacrificed, and meat is given to those who aren’t as fortunate. Children also celebrate Muhammad’s birthday with pink sugar dolls and candy made from nuts and sesame seeds.
 * Celebrations:


 * __ Weddings: __** Weddings are also large celebrations and last several days. Marriages are typically arranged by the parents; sometimes the bride and groom have never met. Girls are usually around 19, or younger if they’re from poorer families. Men are usually a lot older since they have to be able to support a family before they can marry. In preparation for the wedding, both the bride and the groom are cleansed and decorated in different patterns with henna. They are not actually present at the ceremony; the marriage contract is signed by two male relations. However, the marriage isn’t finished with the contract. There are several other traditions and steps that must occur, like having their hands be tied together with string to symbolize unity. The steps take several days. Then the feasts and parties last several more.


 * Clothing: ** Clothing styles also vary by location and religion. In cities, people wear western clothing. Muslim women cover their entire bodies, and then wrap themselves in a tobe, which is a fabric that goes over clothing. Men wear a jallabiyah, which is a long white robe. Many people are tattooed through scarring, due to an ancient custom in Sudan. It is considered a sign of bravery or beauty and is very honorable. The markings identify the different tribes. Sometimes the markings tell about the individual person. This tradition is still practiced, but is becoming less common.

**Health Issues:** There is a lack of doctors and trained medical officials in Sudan. This means few people get proper health care. In the 1990’s health care basically was non-existent due to civil-war destruction and lack of funds. Even in the wealthier north, the amount of doctors is not enough, though more than in the south. The degree of risk for major infectious diseases is very high. Malnutrition and unclean water are two main factors in this. The diseases include malaria, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dengue fever, sleeping sickness, and several others. HIV/AIDS is also a growing risk especially in the south where doctors are barely, if at all trained. This allows AIDS to travel through improper sterilization and tainted blood.

**Bibliography:** flag- [|www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon/world/africa/] country pic. [|http://www.livecitizen.com]

text- [|CIA World Factbook] [|**http://www.sudan.net/**] [|Culture of SUDAN] [] []