World Factbook
Sudan
Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with a green isosceles triangle based on the left side meaning: red stands for the struggle for freedom; white for peace, light, and love, black for the people; green for Islam, agriculture, and prosperity history: colors and design are based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
Capital
name
Khartoum
etymology
the name derives from the Arabic words ras (head or end) and al-khurtum (elephant's trunk), referring to the narrow strip of land between the Blue and White Niles where the city is located
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
15 36 N, 32 32 E
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Sudan
dual citizenship recognized
no
residency requirement for naturalization
10 years
Constitution
note
note: amended 2020 to incorporate the Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan; the military suspended several provisions of the Constitutional Declaration in October 2021
history
previous 1973, 1998, 2005 (interim constitution, which was suspended in April 2019); latest initial draft completed by Transitional Military Council in May 2019; revised draft known as the "Draft Constitutional Charter for the 2019 Transitional Period," or “2019 Constitutional Declaration” was signed by the Council and opposition coalition on 4 August 2019
Country name
former
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Sudan
etymology
the name derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan , meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"
local long form
Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
local short form
As-Sudan
conventional long form
Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form
Sudan
Independence
1 January 1956 (from Egypt and the UK)
Legal system
mixed system of Islamic law and English common law
Government type
presidential republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
National Supreme Court (consists of 70 judges organized into panels of 3 judges and includes 4 circuits that operate outside the capital); a Constitutional Court was required in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration, but it has yet to be implemented
subordinate courts
Court of Appeal; other national courts; public courts; district, town, and rural courts
judge selection and term of office
National Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges selected by the Supreme Judicial Council
Executive branch
note
note 1: the 2019 Constitutional Declaration established a collective chief of state of the "Sovereign Council," which was chaired by al-BURHAN; on 25 October 2021, al-BURHAN dissolved the Sovereign Council but reinstated it on 11 November 2021, replacing its civilian members (previously selected by the umbrella civilian coalition the Forces for Freedom and Change) with civilians of the military’s choosing, but then relieved the newly appointed civilian members of their duties on 6 July 2022 note 2: Sovereign Council currently consists of 5 generals
cabinet
the military forced most members of the Council of Ministers out of office in 2021; a handful of ministers appointed by former armed opposition groups were allowed to retain their posts; at present, most of the members of the Council are appointed senior civil servants serving in an acting-minister capacity
chief of state
Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman (since 11 November 2021)
election results
NA
head of government
Sovereign Council Chair and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abd-al-Fattah al-BURHAN Abd-al-Rahman (since 11 November 2021)
election/appointment process
military members of the Sovereign Council are selected by the leadership of the security forces; representatives of former armed groups to the Sovereign Council are selected by the signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement
expected date of next election
supposed to be held in 2022 or 2023, but the methodology for elections has still not been defined
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
National color(s)
red, white, black, green
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region (c); Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe (c); Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park (n)
Political parties
Democratic Unionist Party Democratic Unionist Party or DUP Federal Umma Party Muslim Brotherhood or MB National Congress Party or NCP National Umma Party or NUP Popular Congress Party or PCP Reform Movement Now Sudan National Front Sudanese Communist Party or SCP Sudanese Congress Party or SCoP Umma Party for Reform and Development Unionist Movement Party or UMP
note: in November 2019, the transitional government banned the National Congress Party
Legislative branch
note
note: the Parliament of Sudan was dissolved after a coup in April 2019; the August 2019 Constitutional Declaration established Sudan's transitional government; a Transitional Legislative Council (TLC) was to have served as the national legislature during the transitional period until elections could be held, but the TLC has not been created
National anthem(s)
title
"Nahnu Djundulla Djundulwatan" (We Are the Army of God and of Our Land)
history
adopted 1956; originally served as the anthem of the Sudanese military
lyrics/music
Sayed Ahmad Muhammad SALIH/Ahmad MURJAN
National symbol(s)
secretary bird
Administrative divisions
18 states ( wilayat , singular - wilayah ); Blue Nile, Central Darfur, East Darfur, Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala, Khartoum, North Darfur, North Kordofan, Northern, Red Sea, River Nile, Sennar, South Darfur, South Kordofan, West Darfur, West Kordofan, White Nile
note: the peace agreement signed in 2020 included a provision to establish a system of governance to restructure the country's current 18 states into regions
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 667-2406
chancery
2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 338-8565
chief of mission
Ambassador Mohamed Abdalla IDRIS (since 16 September 2022)
email address and website
consular@sudanembassy.org https://www.sudanembassy.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
note
note: the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended operations (to include visa, passport, and other routine consular services) on 22 April 2023
embassy
P.O. Box 699, Kilo 10, Soba, Khartoum
telephone
[249] 187-0-22000
mailing address
2200 Khartoum Place, Washington DC 20521-2200
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Colleen Crenwelge (since May 2024)
email address and website
ACSKhartoum@state.gov https://sd.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU (suspended), CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2008