What to Know Before Visiting Sudan?

Country Facts:
 The name “Sudan” translates to “the land of the blacks” in Arabic. It is taken from
the Arabic bilād as-sūdān.
 Twelve hundred people dive in the Red Sea in Sudan every year.
 With 114 native languages and more than 500 accents, Sudan has a diverse
multilingual population.
 After the formation of South Sudan, the size of Sudan was reduced by 25%.
 Sudan has one doctor for every 10,000 people.
  The majority of children die before reaching the age of five.
 As per nationmaster.com, the employment rate for adults in Sudan is 47.3.
 There are approximately 50,000 deaf people in Sudan.
 Sudan is home to more pyramids than Egypt, giving it the world's largest
collection of pyramids in one place at over 200 pyramids total.
 Sudan produces 80% of the world's gum Arabic supply, a binding substance
found in gum, shampoo, soft drinks, marshmallows, and many other common
products.
 In 2011, 98% of southern Sudanese voted to secede from the north, making
South Sudan the youngest country in the world.
 Since 2003, over 2.5 million people have been displaced and 400,000 killed due
to the conflicts in the Darfur region of Sudan.
 Sudan lost more than 75% of its oil reserves after the 2011 secession of South
Sudan.
 Petroleum exports make up more than half of Sudan's government revenues.
Sudan produces 125,000 barrels of oil per day.
 Sudan is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with
46.5% of the population live below the poverty line.
Source:
1. https://thefactfile.org/sudan-facts/
2. https://www.factretriever.com/sudan-facts

Country Flag:
Capital: Khartoum is the capital of Sudan.
Government: Officially, the politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a
presidential representative democratic, representative democracy is a type of Indirect
democracy consociationalist republic, where the President of Sudan is head of state,
head of government and commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces in a multi-
party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and in the two
chambers, the National Assembly (lower) and the Council of States (higher), of the
bicameral National Legislature.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Sudan
Prime Minister: Abdalla Hamdok is prime Minister of Sudan since 2019.
Economy: Sudan has a largely traditional economy in which the majority of the citizens
rely on agriculture, and there is limited central planning by the government. Sudan is a
member of the League of Arab States (Arab League) and the Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). For the 2019 estimate, GDP per capita in
Sudan will be $4072 in PPP per capita and $714 per nominal.
Population: The population of Sudan was estimated to be 41.8 million in 2018.
Religion by Percentage:  Religion plays an important role in Sudan, with 97% of the
country's population adhering to Islam. The vast majority of Muslims in Sudan are Sunni
belonging to the Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence. Protestants are about 5% of the
population mainly in the south. Roman Catholics are 3.2%.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Sudan

Top Sudan Foods: Sudanese cuisine is based on grains (maize, sorghum). It uses
yams, potatoes, vegetables, legumes (beans, lentil, peanuts), meat (goat, mutton,
chicken and fish near the rivers and lakes), okra and fruit as well. Meat is boiled, grilled
or dried. South Sudanese cuisine was influenced by Arab cuisine. Below are top “must
try” dishes for visitors to Sudan:

 Gorassa: Goraasa is a Sudanese pancake or a flatbread that is spongy,

versatile, soft, and doughy. It is made with flour, water, salt, and (optionally)
baking powder. The batter is shaped in the pan, so the final result looks like a
thick tortilla. In Sudan, it is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Locals often
place it under various stews, then tear off pieces of the flatbread to scoop up the
main dish instead of using utensils, but goraasa can also be enjoyed on its own.
 Shaaria: Shaaria is a traditional Sudanese dessert made with a unique blend of
ingredients. Pasta nets are first boiled, then fried and combined with sugar,
melted butter, raisins or coconut, sesame oil, and a bit of salt. This flavorful
dessert is typically prepared and served during Ramadan.
 Baseema: Baseema is a traditional Sudanese cake made with eggs, yogurt,
baking powder, flour, shredded coconut, oil, and vanilla extract. The mixture is
typically spread into a wide pan, then baked. The cake is then glazed with a
combination of granulated sugar, lemon juice, and water. When served, baseema
is usually cut into squares. The name of this fluffy golden cake means delicious,
and it’s easy to see why.
  Kamounia: Kamounia is a traditional dish that's a part of Tunisian, Egyptian, and
Sudanese cuisine. This hearty stew is usually prepared with beef, liver, and
cumin. Variations exist, so lamb is sometimes used instead of the beef, and there
are also different spices used depending on the region. Some people like to add
parsley, olive oil, and garlic to the stew. Once done, kamounia is often served
with rice, either on top of it or on the side.
 Kisra: Kisra is a traditional spongy flatbread from South Sudan, made with
sorghum (millet) flour. It is often used for dipping into stews or as a spoon for
scooping up other food. The bread can also be ripped into chunks and placed in
soups or porridges, when it is traditionally accompanied by a vegetable and meat
stew known as mullah.

Language: The official languages in Sudan are Arabic and English, according to the
2005 constitution. English is not widely spoken except by officials, students and
hospitality workers. In contrast to many places in the world, it is the older generations
that tend to speak the better English. Many locals in and around Khartoum, however,
tend to speak some English, even those not directly engaged in the tourist industry.

Dress for Men and Women: Traditional Chadian Arab attire such as long robes called
jalabiyas are worn by men in public, along with white turban-like headgear known as a
tagiya. Muslim men wear outfits consisting of long robes with matching pants known as
boubous, and in the southern tribes, they wear tunic outfits called complets. Sudan is a
conservative Islamic country with a strict dress code for women. Most women wear a
hijab or a type of burka. In Khartoum, you will meet ladies wearing jeans or no head
scarf.

Holidays: There are several national holidays in Sudan such as:

 Independence Day
 Eid al-Fitr
 Eid al-Adha
 Islamic New Year
 Prophet's Birthday
 Christmas Day
Travel Tips:

 No matter which way you look at it, Sudan just isn’t one of those well-travelled
destinations.
 Sudan is the country of controls and permits. Everything requires a permit, from
driving outside of Khartoum to visiting some of the tourist sites to taking photos.
 Taxis are the only form of transportation in Khartoum
 this is a full-on Sharia State and anything which resembles abundance,
entertainment, or fun is forbidden.
  There are no ATMs in Sudan that is why cards are simply useless in Sudan. This
is primarily because of the embargo which left all banks completely isolated so
bring enough cash for the duration.
 Despite this is a predominantly Muslim country and all women are covered tourist
don’t have to.
 Not just the alcohol type. Sudan is mostly desert, expect extreme dryness.
 Sudanese travel visas are expensive and difficult to acquire for some
nationalities in some countries and impossible for people with an Israeli stamp in
their passport.
 Khartoum Airport (KRT) is the main gateway into Sudan by air though more
recently, some airlines have started flying to Port Sudan Airport.
 There are no international trains from neighbouring countries into Sudan.
 One way to get in from Ethiopia is via the border village of Gallabat. The road
crossing from Egypt periodically closes, depending on diplomatic and trading
relations between the two countries.
 Islam is the official religion of the country and as a result, alcoholic beverages
are banned, regardless of origin.
 Sudan's daily drink is tea; usually sweet and black. Hibiscus tea called karkadeh
is a delicious alternative.
 Khartoum and North Sudan feel much more safe than most African countries.

Top 10 Attractions and places to visit:

1. Jebel Barkal
2. Sudan National Museum
3. Tuti Island
4. Nubian Pyramids
5. Dungonab Bay
6. Nile Street
7. The Presidential Palace
8. Nuba Mountains
9. Greek Melkite Catholic church
10. Kerma
Sudan Boys Name:
 Abdul batin
 Abdul kareem
 Zareb
 Zayd
 Nazeer
 Munib
 Ismail
Top Universities in Sudan:
 1. University of science and technology
2. University of Khartoum
3. International University of Africa
4. Ahfad university for women
5. National Ribat University
6. University of Gezira
7. Al Neelain University
8. Omdurman Islamic University
9. National University
10. University of medical sciences and technology
Top 10 Websites:
1. Google.com
2. Youtube.com
3. Sudannews365.org
4. Facebook.com
5. Blogspot.com
6. Yahoo.com
7. Wikipedia.org
8. Live.com
9. Ofgogoatan.com
10. Bongacams.com
Top 3 Search engines used:
1. Google
2. Bing
3. Yahoo
Top exports:
 Gold
 Petroleum products
 Oil
 Cotton
 Sesame
 Livestock
 Peanuts
 Gum Arabic
 Sugar
Top 5 Cars:
Top cars in Sudan includes:
1. Toyota Hilux
2. Hyundai accent
 3. Hyundai Elantra
4. Toyota corolla
5. Hyundai Tucson
Natural Disasters:
Many types of natural disasters occur in Sudan such as:
 Flash Flooding
 Drought
 Severe local storm
Home Designs / Architecture:
Most Sudanese live in simple houses of their own or rent from landlords or agricultural-
scheme authorities. At last report, over half of all housing units were gottias —single
rooms with round mud walls and a conical straw roof; about one-third were menzils —
multi-room houses with toilet facilities. The latest data revealed by the South Sudan's
ministry of housing and physical planning has indicated that 93% of the so-called
privately owned houses in the new country are made of grass-thatched or mud huts,
popularly known as tukuls.
Deaths and Mortality:
In 2019, death rate for Sudan was 7.1 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Sudan fell
gradually from 14.7 per 1,000 people in 1970 to 7.1 per 1,000 people in 2019.
Source: https://knoema.com/atlas/Sudan/Death-rate