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The Pyramids of Meroë, ancient royal necropolis of the Kingdom of Kush

About Sudan

The Republic of the Sudan

Sudan, in Northeast Africa, is an Arab-African nation with a uniquely diverse social fabric — many cultures, ethnicities and traditions living side by side. It is the continent's third-largest country and is traversed by the River Nile.

Imagery: NASA Blue Marble · State boundaries: OCHA (CC BY 3.0 IGO) · Rivers: Natural Earth

Sudan

Eighteen states

Pick a state on the map to see its capital, area and population.

Khartoum

Capital: Khartoum

Area
22,142 km²
Population (2018)
7,993,900
Explore the state
18
States
1,946,663 km²
Area
48,016,211
Population
Khartoum
Capital
1 January 1956
Independence

The land

From the Sahara to the Red Sea

Deriba crater lake in the Jebel Marra highlands

Landscapes

Desert, savanna, volcanic highlands and fertile river plains.

Royal pyramids at Nuri

Ancient civilisations

Kerma, Kush and Meroë — kingdoms that shaped the Nile valley for millennia.

Red Sea coast in eastern Sudan

The Red Sea

Some 750 km of coastline, coral reefs and the marine parks of Sanganeb and Dungonab Bay.

The Nile at Khartoum

The Nile

The Blue and White Nile meet at Khartoum and carry farming, fishing and trade.

Geography & climate

Sudan lies roughly between latitudes 8.45°N and 23.8°N and longitudes 21.49°E and 38.24°E. Its climate is tropical — extremely arid in the north, semi-humid in the south — with annual rainfall ranging from almost none in the north to 500–1000 mm in the south. The Nile and its tributaries are central to the country's economy, society and culture, supporting agriculture, fishing, navigation and hydroelectric power.

History

Along the Nile, the Kingdom of Kush flourished and Kushite kings ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty, later centring their kingdom at Meroe. From the 6th century the three Nubian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia adopted Christianity, while Islam reached the Red Sea coast by the 7th century and spread through trade and settlement. After the work of the 1938 Graduates' Conference and the parliamentary declaration of 19 December 1955, Sudan became independent on 1 January 1956.

The triple capital

Khartoum is a "triple capital" formed by three cities where the Blue and White Nile meet: Khartoum (the political centre), Omdurman (the national and cultural heart) and Khartoum North / Bahri (the industrial centre).

Economy

Sudan's principal resources and exports include petroleum, livestock, gum arabic, cotton, oilseeds and gold. Its federal, decentralised government spans 18 states, Arabic and English are the official languages, and the currency is the Sudanese Pound (SDG).

  • Red The sacrifice of those who gave their lives for the country.
  • White Peace, light and optimism.
  • Black Sudan itself and its African identity — the name means "land of the black peoples".
  • Green Growth, prosperity and the land’s agriculture.

National symbols

Flag, emblem and anthem

Emblem of the Republic of the Sudan

The flag

Red, white and black bands with a green triangle at the hoist, adopted on 20 May 1970.

The emblem

A secretary bird bearing a shield, with the motto “Victory is ours” above it. The bird, which hunts on foot across the savanna, was chosen for its strength, pride and high flight.

The anthem

“We are the soldiers of God, the soldiers of the homeland” — the national anthem since independence in 1956.

Culture

One culture, many roots

Sudanese culture is carried by poetry, music, crafts and an everyday hospitality that brings families and neighbours together around coffee.

Culture and community events
  • Music
  • Poetry
  • Literature
  • Crafts
  • Dress
  • Coffee (jabana)
  • Festivals
  • Hospitality

Arts and letters

Writers, artists and musicians

Literature

Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North (1966) is a classic of Arabic fiction. Poets such as al-Tijani Yusuf Bashir and Muhammad al-Fayturi, and novelist Leila Aboulela, carry the tradition on.

Music

Built on the five-note scale, Sudanese song grew from the haqiba of the 1920s to the modern orchestras of Mohammed Wardi, Sayed Khalifa and Ibrahim Awad, carried by Omdurman Radio from 1940.

Fine art

The Khartoum School of Ibrahim El-Salahi and Ahmed Shibrain fused Arabic calligraphy with African forms; Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq co-founded the Crystalist movement.

Cinema

From Ibrahim Shaddad’s early films to Amjad Abu Alala’s You Will Die at Twenty (Venice, 2019) and Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia (Cannes, 2023), Sudanese cinema has won international prizes.

Learning

Learning began in the khalwa Quran schools. Babikr Badri opened the first girls’ school in Rufaa in 1907, and Gordon Memorial College (1902) became the University of Khartoum in 1956.

Theatre

Khalid Abu al-Rous’s play Tajouj (1934) drew on a folk love story. The National Theatre in Omdurman, opened in 1958, launched a generation of directors and actors.

Folk dance

Every region has its own dances for harvests and weddings — the kambala of the Nuba Mountains, the mardoum of Kordofan — often led by the hakkamat, women singers of praise and satire.

Crafts

Gourds, leather, palm fronds and wool are worked into bowls, mats, baskets and saddlery — everyday objects that carry each community’s patterns.

Languages

One country, many voices

Arabic and English are the official languages. Alongside them, dozens of languages are spoken across the regions — a selection:

  • ArabicOfficial language, nationwide
  • EnglishOfficial language
  • Nubian languagesNorthern Nile valley
  • Beja (Bedawi)Red Sea hills, east
  • FurDarfur, Jebel Marra
  • Zaghawa and MasalitDarfur
  • Nuba languagesNuba Mountains, South Kordofan

Sudan 101

Essential facts at a glance

More pyramids than Egypt

More than 200 Nubian pyramids stand at Meroë, Nuri, El-Kurru and Jebel Barkal.

Three World Heritage sites

Jebel Barkal and the Napatan sites, the Island of Meroë, and Sanganeb and Dungonab Bay.

Where the Niles meet

The Blue Nile from Ethiopia and the White Nile join at Al-Mogran in Khartoum.

Gum arabic

Sudan is a leading producer of gum arabic, used in food and medicine worldwide.

History

Five thousand years on the Nile

  1. c. 2500–1500 BC

    Kingdom of Kerma

    One of Africa’s earliest urban states rises at the Third Cataract of the Nile.

  2. 8th–7th century BC

    Kush rules Egypt

    Kushite kings from Napata, near Jebel Barkal, rule Egypt as its 25th Dynasty.

  3. c. 300 BC – AD 350

    Meroë

    The royal capital moves to Meroë, a centre of iron-working with its own Meroitic script.

  4. 6th century

    Christian Nubia

    The Nubian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia adopt Christianity; Old Nubian is written down.

  5. From the 7th century

    Arrival of Islam

    Islam reaches the Red Sea coast and spreads gradually inland through trade and settlement.

  6. 1504

    Funj Sultanate

    The Funj Sultanate is founded at Sennar on the Blue Nile.

  7. 1881–1898

    The Mahdiyya

    The Mahdist movement founds a state with its capital at Omdurman.

  8. 1938

    Graduates’ Congress

    Educated Sudanese found the Graduates’ General Congress, the forerunner of the independence movement.

  9. 1 January 1956

    Independence

    After Parliament’s declaration of 19 December 1955, the flag of independent Sudan is raised.

Heritage

Places that tell Sudan's story

Pyramids of Meroë

Meroë

Royal city and necropolis of the Kushite kingdom.

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Pyramids at Jebel Barkal

Jebel Barkal

Sacred mountain of Napata, with temples and pyramids at its foot.

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Avenue of rams at Naga

Naga

Meroitic temples of Amun and Apedemak in the Butana.

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Columns of the temple at Soleb

Soleb

Temple built under Amenhotep III on the Nile in Nubia.

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The Nile at Khartoum

Khartoum

The triple capital at the confluence of the Niles.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons — see image credits.

Economy and trade

Resources, routes and markets

A gateway on the Red Sea

Some 850 km of Red Sea coast and seven neighbours make Sudan a natural route to the sea for inland Africa, on the shipping lane to the Suez Canal.

Land and water

Vast arable land fed by the Nile, seasonal rains and groundwater, with large herds of livestock — the base of the country’s farming economy.

Minerals

Gold is the leading export, alongside other minerals and oil; gum arabic, sesame and livestock round out the export basket.

Regional trade

Sudan is a member of COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and holds trade agreements with its neighbours.

Investment rules and incentives change. For current guidance on trade and investment with Sudan, contact the embassy.

The 18 states

Sudan is organised into 18 states, each with its own capital and administration. Select a state to read more about it.

Before you travel

Check official information first

  • Read the current travel and safety advice of the German Federal Foreign Office.
  • Check visa requirements and fees with the embassy before you book.
  • Keep passports, insurance and emergency contacts ready and up to date.
Visa for Sudan
The Government Bilateral Relations with Germany

State figures from Wikipedia (opens in a new tab).