
Sudan
As-Sudan

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Customs and Culture
Customs and Culture
About the People
Sudanese from the north are inclined to be polite, reserved, and cautious. They view whatever happens as the will of God presenting challenges. Sudanese value good humor, courtesy and strong family ties. The society is highly stratified , with respect given to those with wealth and status.
Power may be reflected in having a government position, coming from a respected family, being a religious leader or being a chief (in the south). Educated people earn respect as they are likely to obtain good positions in society.
Cultural Attributes
Sudanese from the north are inclined to be polite, reserved, and cautious. They view whatever happens as the will of God presenting challenges. Sudanese value good humor, courtesy, and strong family ties. Society is highly stratified, with respect given to those with wealth and status.
Power may be reflected in having a government position, coming from a respected family, being a religious leader, or being a chief (in the south). Educated people earn respect as they are likely to obtain good positions in society.
Land of the Two Niles and Ancient Kingdoms
Get More Customs and Culture
5 more cultural topics for members
Social Customs & Etiquette · Diet · Family · Dating Customs · Recreation
Holidays
Independence Day
1/1Independence Day
Dates of Interest
- January 7th
This is one of the most important Islamic festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide, marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. People in Sudan celebrate Eid al-Fitr with prayers, feasting, and exchanging gifts.
How do people greet each other in Sudan?
The common greeting is "salaam aleykom" (Peace be with you), and both men and women typically shake hands when meeting friends or relatives.
Do
- Use "salaam aleykom" as a general greeting
- Shake hands with friends and relatives
- Try local phrases like "do pure" (good morning) or "do parana" (good afternoon)
Good to know
- Good friends may exchange a casual Salaam
What are the dining customs in Sudan?
Two meals a day is the norm, with dinner in the evening being the main meal shared by the family; only the right hand is used for eating and families rarely eat out at restaurants.
Do
- Wash your hands before and after a meal
- Eat only with your right hand
Don’t
- Don't use your left hand for eating
- Don't expect families to dine out at restaurants often
Good to know
- Staples include millet, sorghum, and maize, often supplemented with beef, chicken, goat, or mutton
- Kisra (flour paste) and fatta are traditional foods
- Alcohol is officially prohibited, though a sorghum beer called marisa is drunk
What should I know about visiting and hospitality in Sudan?
Visiting usually takes place in the home, and guests are served coffee, tea, water, or soft drinks; men and women generally socialize separately.
Do
- Visit mid-morning or evening
- Keep first visits short
- Make arrangements in advance if you are less known
Don’t
- Don't visit at times when people may be sleeping or eating
Good to know
- Close friends and family may visit spontaneously
- Religious holidays and special events are the best occasions for relaxed gatherings
- Children are asked to play away from adults to allow conversation
How should I dress in Sudan?
Western clothing is common, though northern men also wear traditional "jalabia" (white robes) and "imma" (turbans), and women must cover from head to ankle in public (hijab).
Do
- Women should cover from head to ankle in public (hijab)
Good to know
- Southern men and women usually wear Western attire
- In the south, jewelry and beads signal affluence
Which gestures are important in Sudan?
Nodding the head downward means 'yes' and nodding up means 'no'; the left hand and foot soles carry offensive meanings.
Don’t
- Don't use the left hand for eating
- Don't point with a finger
- Don't point the sole of your feet toward someone
Good to know
- Use both hands when passing items between people
What is family life like in Sudan?
The Sudanese family centers on the extended family and is headed by males, with clearly divided roles for men and women.
Good to know
- Men earn income, manage the herd, and lead family discipline
- Women clean, cook, care for children, and help with the farm and garden
- Women do not leave the house for 40 days after giving birth
- Southern women generally have more equality than women in the north
What do people do for recreation in Sudan?
Soccer is popular, along with volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and a stick-and-shield martial art, while board games and traditional dancing are also enjoyed.
Good to know
- Traditional sports include wrestling and a stick-and-shield martial art
- Games include shelel, tawal (backgammon), and mangala
- Girls enjoy dolls, jump rope, and arika (hopscotch)
- In rural areas men socialize in a diwanya, a meeting hut
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Sources: CountryReports
Photos of Sudan
Photos of Sudan
Gathering firewood in camp, Darfur, southern Sudan
Busy road in Khartoum, Sudan
Bridge in Khartoum, Sudan
Road bridgeway in Khartouom, Sudan
Suburb in Omdurman, Khartoum
Khartoum, Sudan
Gadaffi Tower, Khartoum, Sudan
The Sufis, Suda, dervish.
A man sells vegetables in Omdurman, Sudan
Class at Khartoum University full of primary school teachers
Khartoum wedding dance, Sudan
Sudanese show store
Travel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 4: Do Not Travel
- Currency
- Sudanese dinar (SDD)
- Time Difference
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Climate
- Khartoum is usually hot and dusty. During May, June, and July, daily high temperatures average around 100 F or higher, with frequent dust storms called "haboobs." July, August, and part of September are not as hot, with rare but heavy rainstorms (average 8 inches yearly) and continuing haboobs. From November until April, daily temperatures range around 95 F; nights, around 70 F, are pleasant. Cool weather at night and in the early mornings sometimes requires light sweaters or blankets.
- Airports
- 63
Read the full travel guide — health, safety, vaccinations, disease risk, sanitation, and transit details.
View full travel guideRecipes
Recipes
History
History
Historical Eras
Ancient Nubia & Kush
8000 BCE – 1820
From early Neolithic contact with Egypt through the powerful Kushite kingdoms of Kerma, Napata, and Meroë, the Nile Valley of present-day Sudan sustained sophisticated civilizations that at times ruled Egypt itself. The Christian Nubian kingdoms of Makuria and Alodia later flourished before gradual Islamization transformed the region between roughly the 14th and 16th centuries, laying the cultural and religious foundations of northern Sudanese identity.
Turco-Egyptian Rule
1820 – 1885
In 1820 an Ottoman-commanded Egyptian army under Muhammad Ali's son Ismail invaded and conquered Sudan, establishing a sixty-year period of Turco-Egyptian administration centered in Khartoum. The regime exploited Sudan's resources, particularly through the slave trade, and fueled deep resentment that culminated in the Mahdist uprising of 1881, when Muhammad Ahmad declared himself the Mahdi and led a successful revolt that drove out Egyptian forces and resulted in the fall of Khartoum in 1885.
Mahdist State
1885 – 1899
Following the death of the Mahdi in 1885, his successor the Khalifa Abdallahi ibn Muhammad ruled an independent Islamic theocratic state from Omdurman. The Mahdist state maintained independence against Egyptian and Ethiopian pressures but was ultimately crushed by a British-Egyptian expeditionary force under General Kitchener at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, ending the only period of fully indigenous Sudanese self-rule in the modern era.
Anglo-Egyptian Condominium
1899 – 1956
Britain and Egypt jointly administered Sudan under a condominium arrangement from 1899, though British authority was effectively dominant. Britain governed the Muslim Arab north and the African south under separate administrative policies, entrenching a regional division that would define Sudan's postcolonial conflicts. Nationalist pressure and the 1952 Egyptian Revolution accelerated Sudanese self-determination, and Sudan achieved full independence on January 1, 1956.
Independence & Civil War
1956 – 1989
Independent Sudan was almost immediately destabilized by a southern mutiny in 1955 and chronic civil war rooted in northern political, economic, and religious domination over non-Arab, non-Muslim southerners. Military coups in 1958 and 1969 brought authoritarian regimes, including Jaafar Numeiri's government, which signed the Addis Ababa peace agreement in 1972 but reignited conflict in 1983 by imposing Islamic law nationwide and repartitioning the south, spawning the Sudan People's Liberation Army rebellion and catastrophic famine.
Islamist Military Rule
1989 – present
A 1989 coup led by General Omar al-Bashir, backed by Hassan al-Turabi's National Islamic Front, installed an Islamist military government that deepened the civil war, drew international isolation, and was accused of harboring global militants including Osama bin Laden in the 1990s. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 eventually led to South Sudan's independence in 2011, while successive crises including the Darfur genocide, al-Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court, and a 2019 popular uprising followed by renewed military conflict have kept Sudan in prolonged instability.
Overview
Tomb of the Mahdi in Omdurman
Timeline of Key Events
1820
Sudan is conquered by Turkey and Egypt.
Sudan is conquered by Turkey and Egypt.
1881
Revolt against the Turco-Egyptian administration.
Revolt against the Turco-Egyptian administration.
1882
The British invade Sudan.
The British invade Sudan.
1899 – 1955
Sudan is governed by British-Egyptian rule.
Sudan is governed by British-Egyptian rule.
1955
Revolt and start of the civil war.
Revolt and start of the civil war.
1956
Sudan becomes independent.
Sudan becomes independent.
1958
A military coup takes place in Sudan.
A military coup takes place in Sudan. The civilian government is removed.
Read the full history profile — narrative overview, defining eras, and the complete timeline in one place.
View expanded historyInteresting Facts
Interesting Facts
Cushite civilization, which reached its peak between 1750 and 1500 B.C., is thought to be the oldest Black civilization in the world. Its capital was Meroe on the Nile.
Cushite civilization, which reached its peak between 1750 and 1500 B.C., is thought to be the oldest Black civilization in the world. Its capital was Meroe on the Nile.
80% percent of the world's gum arabic, or gum acacia, is produced in Sudan. Harvested from acacia trees, it is used in inks, adhesives, certain types of candy and soft drinks.
Sudan exports many camels and sheep to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
See every fact — trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits gathered from across the country.
View all interesting factsGeography and Environment
Geography and Environment
- Terrain
- generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
- Climate
- Khartoum is usually hot and dusty. During May, June, and July, daily high temperatures average around 100 F or higher, with frequent dust storms called "haboobs." July, August, and part of September are not as hot, with rare but heavy rainstorms (average 8 inches yearly) and continuing haboobs. From November until April, daily temperatures range around 95 F; nights, around 70 F, are pleasant. Cool weather at night and in the early mornings sometimes requires light sweaters or blankets.
- Natural Hazards
- dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
- Current Environmental Issues
- inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Read the full geography and environment profile — terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, land use, and international agreements.
View full geographyPeople & Demographics
People & Demographics
Religion
Languages Spoken
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
- Arabic
Population
- Population
- 47,958,786
- Population in Major Urban Areas
- KHARTOUM (capital) 4.632 million
- Nationality Noun
- Sudanese (singular and plural)
- Ethnic Groups
- black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
- Language Note
- Arabic is spoken by about half the people, but it is the official language. Many dialects are spoken throughout the country. Arabic Juba is a unique dialect used in southern urban areas for communicating between different ethnic groups. Other languages spoken are Nubian, Dinka, Azanda, Bari, Nuer and Shilluk. Those with education speak good English.
Education
- Literacy Definition
- age 15 and over can read and write
Health Information
- Major Infectious Diseases — degree of risk
- very high
Read the full people and society profile — demographics, health, education, religion, languages, and notable people.
View full people and societyGovernment & Politics
Government & Politics
Country Identity
- Country Name
- Sudan
- Full Country Name
- Republic of the Sudan
- Local - Long
- Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
- Local - Short
- As-Sudan
- Former Name
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Government Structure
- Government Type
- authoritarian regime - ruling military junta took power in 1989; government is run by an alliance of the military and the National Congress Party (NCP), formerly the National Islamic Front (NIF), which espouses an Islamist platform
- Legal System
- based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
- Executive Branch
- chief of state: Chairman of the Sovereignty Council General Abdel Fattah al-BURHAN (since 11 November 2019); note - following the military coup of October 25, 2021, al-BURHAN dissolved the Sovereignty Council and the transitional government, though he subsequently reconstituted the Sovereignty Council under his leadership; the position of prime minister has been contested and largely nonfunctional since the coup head of government: Chairman of the Sovereignty Council General Abdel Fattah al-BURHAN serves as de facto head of government; a civilian prime minister role was established under the 2019 transitional framework but has remained unstable; following the April 2023 outbreak of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), effective governance has been severely disrupted across much of the country cabinet: Council of Ministers; the transitional framework established in 2019 envisioned a civilian-led cabinet, but military influence has dominated governance, particularly following the October 2021 coup; the ongoing civil war beginning in April 2023 has further undermined functioning government institutions elections: no direct presidential elections have been held since April 2010, when Omar al-BASHIR was reelected in a vote criticized as neither free nor fair; transitional governance arrangements have been in place since al-BASHIR was ousted in April 2019; elections under a permanent constitutional framework have not yet been held election results: not applicable under current transitional and conflict conditions note: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR, who had ruled Sudan since seizing power in a military coup in June 1989, was removed from office by the Sudanese military on April 11, 2019, following months of widespread popular protests; he was subsequently arrested and faced charges including corruption and crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court; a Sovereignty Council composed of military and civilian representatives was established in August 2019 to oversee a transitional period, but a military coup in October 2021 reasserted armed forces dominance; in April 2023, fighting erupted between the SAF and the RSF, plunging the country into a severe humanitarian and governance crisis
- Legislative Branch
- Sudan's national legislature has undergone significant transformation following decades of conflict and political upheaval. Under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan established a bi-cameral National Legislature comprising the National Assembly (lower house) and the Council of States (upper house). The National Assembly consisted of 450 seats, with membership apportioned as follows: 52% to the National Congress Party (NCP), 28% to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), 14% to other northern parties, and 6% to other southern parties. The Council of States comprised 50 members, with two representatives elected from each of Sudan's states to serve five-year terms. Multiparty elections held in April 2010 — the first in 24 years — resulted in Omar al-Bashir and the NCP retaining dominant control, though the results were disputed by opposition parties. Following South Sudan's independence in July 2011, the legislature was restructured to reflect the reduced number of states and constituencies. Sudan's legislative framework was fundamentally disrupted by the April 2019 uprising that ousted long-serving President Omar al-Bashir. A Sovereignty Council and transitional government were established under a power-sharing agreement between civilian and military factions. The October 2021 military coup dissolved transitional governing bodies, suspending legislative functions indefinitely. As of the most recent available information, Sudan has no functioning elected legislature, and the country remains in a state of political and military crisis following the outbreak of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.
- Judicial Branch
- Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary
- Suffrage
- 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
- Constitution
- 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR
- Independence
- 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Capital City
- Capital Name
- Khartoum
- Capital - geographic coordinate
- 15 36 N, 32 32 E
- Capital Time Difference
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
several explanations of the name exist; two of the more plausible are that it is derived from Arabic "al-jartum" meaning "elephant's trunk" or "hose," and likely referring to the narrow strip of land extending between the Blue and White Niles; alternatively, the name could derive from the Dinka words "khar-tuom," indicating a "place where rivers meet"
Military
Branches: Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Land Forces, Navy (includes Marines), Sudanese Air Force (Sikakh al-Jawwiya as-Sudaniya), Popular Defense Forces
Embassy / Diplomatic Mission
U.S. Embassy Sudan
Kilo 10 - Soba, Khartoum
Telephone: (249) 1-870-22000 (from outside Sudan)
0-187-022000 (from inside Sudan)
ACSKhartoum@state.gov
Read the full government profile — flag symbolism, national anthem, and other national symbols.
View full government detailsEconomy
Economy
Sudan's economy has been in severe distress since the outbreak of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, which has devastated infrastructure, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world's…
Snapshot
- Currency Name and Code
- Sudanese Point (SDG)
- GDP — official exchange rate
- $22,750,000,000 (USD)
- GDP Real Growth Rate
- 7%
News & Weather
News & Weather
Current Weather
Latest News
Poaching frustrates South Sudan’s wildlife conservation efforts - Radio Tamazuj
Radio Tamazuj · 4h ago
Women in Sudan's al-Obeid face drone attacks and rape when fetching water, UN says - Reuters
Reuters · 1d ago
‘I lost my home twice’: Sudanese mothers caught between two wars - Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera · 1d ago
Sudanese army and allies recapture key North Kordofan towns - Sudan Tribune
Sudan Tribune · 6h ago
Qatar Bank Wins Enforcement Of $1B South Sudan Award - Law360
Law360 · 2d ago
In El Obeid, Sudanese women face drones by day, rape by night, to reach water - UN News
UN News · 1d ago
Uganda vs South Sudan - Zone 5 - FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2026 Qualifiers - FIBA Basketball
FIBA Basketball · 1d ago
Sudan’s ally problem - Politico
Politico · 1d ago
News via Google News
Climate Overview
Khartoum is usually hot and dusty. During May, June, and July, daily high temperatures average around 100 F or higher, with frequent dust storms called "haboobs." July, August, and part of September are not as hot, with rare but heavy rainstorms (average 8 inches yearly) and continuing haboobs. From November until April, daily temperatures range around 95 F; nights, around 70 F, are pleasant. Cool weather at night and in the early mornings sometimes requires light sweaters or blankets.
Videos
Videos
2 curated YouTube videos.
Source: YouTube
Source: YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Sudan?
How do people greet each other in Sudan?
What are the dining customs in Sudan?
What should I know about visiting and hospitality in Sudan?
How should I dress in Sudan?
Which gestures are important in Sudan?
What is family life like in Sudan?
What do people do for recreation in Sudan?
What is the capital of Sudan?
Where is Sudan located?
What countries border Sudan?
What is the predominant religion in Sudan?
What currency is used in Sudan?
What languages are spoken in Sudan?
What is Sudan known for?
Last reviewed 2026

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