Physical Description: Sudan makes up roughly 8 percent of Africa and 2 percent of the world's total land area. It consists mostly of flat, monotonous plains. To the east, the Nile, Blue and White Nile Rivers run the length of the country. The Red Sea Hills in the southeast form the foothills of the massive Ethiopian highlands. Mountains over 10,000 ft. rim the southern border with Uganda. To the west, the Marra Mountains (3,000-10,000 ft.) act as the watershed for the Nile and Congo rivers. Starting from the north and moving clockwise, Sudan is bordered by Egypt, the Red Sea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Chad and Libya.
Climate: Tropical in south; desert in north Irrigated Land: 7,513 sq miles (1993 est.) Land Use: Arable Land: 5% Permanent Crops: 0% Permanent Pastures: 46% Forests and Woodland: 19% Other: 30% (1993 est.) Natural Resources: Petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower Natural Hazards: dust storms Eco-alerts: Sudan is faced by the standard problems for this region: desertification and soil erosion. Supplies of potable water are insufficient. Wildlife populations are threatened by humans hunting for food. (Statistics Sources: CIA World Factbook 2000, Encyclopedia Britannica, UNAIDS)