Sudan

Overview

Sudan lies in East Africa on the western coast of the Red Sea, bordered by Egypt, Chad, Libya, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. The Blue Nile and White Nile meet within the country's territory at Khartoum, from where the Nile continues northward toward Egypt. In antiquity, the Nubian Kingdoms, including Kush, flourished in Sudan, at times ruling over Egypt itself, and this lesser-known ancient civilization left behind a significant archaeological legacy still visible today. The territory was under joint British-Egyptian administration until 1956, when it gained independence, and in 2011 the southern provinces split off to become South Sudan following a long civil war. The official languages are Arabic and English, and the majority of the population is Muslim.

The pyramids of Meroë, burial sites of ancient Nubian civilization that outnumber the pyramids of Egypt, though smaller in size, have formed a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011 and represent one of the region's least-visited yet significant ancient monuments. Khartoum, the capital, at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile, where the two rivers' differing colors are clearly visible at the meeting point, served as the country's political and commercial center before the outbreak of the current conflict. Napata and Jebel Barkal, a sacred mountain and its adjoining temple complex, once a center of ancient Nubian religious life, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Suakin, a former Red Sea trading port, with Ottoman- and Egyptian-era coral-stone buildings, preserves the memory of the region's historic maritime trade.

Sudan's Red Sea coastline, with coral reefs less damaged than in other parts of the region due to relatively low tourist traffic, was previously an emerging diving destination before the current conflict made tourism impossible. The Nubian Desert, along the Nile, preserves the memory of ancient caravan routes and Nubian villages, where traditional life relies on the river's water resources. Dinder National Park, in the southeastern part of the country near the Ethiopian border, was once home to rich savanna wildlife, though it is currently essentially inaccessible due to the security situation. Local cuisine is built around millet and rice, with ful medames, stewed fava beans, traditionally eaten for breakfast, and spiced meat stews as signature items.