Split between north and south, Sudan's recent history has been shaped by conflict and oil
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Sudan is Africa's largest country in geographical terms and has a population of around 40 million.
Since Sudan's modern borders were drawn up by the British last century, it has been very much a country of two halves.
The South is more suited to farming thanks to its wetter climate, whereas the north is sparsely vegetated, or desert. Tribal and religious divisions have also highlighted the north-south split. Christian and animus South Sudan had little in common with the Arabic Muslim north.
Since independence the regions have been in rebellion against central rule from Khartoum. In a long civil war between the two halves of the country, which only ended in 2005, around 2 million people, mostly southerners, were killed and millions more made homeless.
In 2003 the western region of Darfur rebelled against the government in Khartoum. The ensuing violence led to the destruction and damage of hundreds of villages in the region. Sudan's President Omar al-bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur that conflict continues. To date it has cost about 300,000 lives and a further three million have been made homeless, who have either fled over the border to refugee camps in Chad or live in the tens of camps in Darfur itself.
For many years Sudan's economy was dominated by the export of cotton, particularly from the extensive Gezira irrigated agricultural scheme south of Khartoum. However the discovery of oil in the South in the 1980s transformed the economy of the entire country. The oil is piped north through Khartoum to port Sudan for export.
Oil production has risen from a trickle in 1999, when exports first began, to a four hundred and ninety thousand barrel a day industry today. This has been reflected in the country's export revenues of which oil now makes up 94 percent. However most of this new wealth has flowed only to Khartoum in the centre of the country, adding to the resentment of the region's against the ruling elite.
The rapid development of the oil industry also saw a reorientation of Sudan's foreign policy. China is now Sudan's principal export market and development partner investing billions of dollars in building roads and bridges in exchange for oil. National elections set for April 2010 are unlikely to be free and fair, as many will find it difficult to vote, especially internally displaced persons in Darfur.
South Sudan however may become the ruler of its own destiny in 2011 when it holds a referendum on whether to secede from Sudan altogether
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Sudan is Africa's largest country in geographical terms and has a population of around 40 million.
Since Sudan's modern borders were drawn up by the British last century, it has been very much a country of two halves.
The South is more suited to farming thanks to its wetter climate, whereas the north is sparsely vegetated, or desert. Tribal and religious divisions have also highlighted the north-south split. Christian and animus South Sudan had little in common with the Arabic Muslim north.
Since independence the regions have been in rebellion against central rule from Khartoum. In a long civil war between the two halves of the country, which only ended in 2005, around 2 million people, mostly southerners, were killed and millions more made homeless.
In 2003 the western region of Darfur rebelled against the government in Khartoum. The ensuing violence led to the destruction and damage of hundreds of villages in the region. Sudan's President Omar al-bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur that conflict continues. To date it has cost about 300,000 lives and a further three million have been made homeless, who have either fled over the border to refugee camps in Chad or live in the tens of camps in Darfur itself.
For many years Sudan's economy was dominated by the export of cotton, particularly from the extensive Gezira irrigated agricultural scheme south of Khartoum. However the discovery of oil in the South in the 1980s transformed the economy of the entire country. The oil is piped north through Khartoum to port Sudan for export.
Oil production has risen from a trickle in 1999, when exports first began, to a four hundred and ninety thousand barrel a day industry today. This has been reflected in the country's export revenues of which oil now makes up 94 percent. However most of this new wealth has flowed only to Khartoum in the centre of the country, adding to the resentment of the region's against the ruling elite.
The rapid development of the oil industry also saw a reorientation of Sudan's foreign policy. China is now Sudan's principal export market and development partner investing billions of dollars in building roads and bridges in exchange for oil. National elections set for April 2010 are unlikely to be free and fair, as many will find it difficult to vote, especially internally displaced persons in Darfur.
South Sudan however may become the ruler of its own destiny in 2011 when it holds a referendum on whether to secede from Sudan altogether
Get more The Economist
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The Economist videos give authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.
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