PEOPLE
Sudan’s population is one of the most diverse on the African continent. There are two distinct major cultures--"Arab" and black African--with hundreds of ethnic and tribal subdivisions and language groups, which make effective collaboration among them a major political challenge.
The northern states cover most of the Sudan and include most of the urban centers. Most of the 22 million Sudanese who live in this region are Arabic-speaking Muslims, though the majority also uses a non-Arabic mother tongue--e.g., Nubian, Beja, Fur, Nuban, Ingessana, etc. Among these are several distinct tribal groups: the Kababish of northern Kordofan, a camel-raising people; the Ja’alin and Shaigiyya groups of settled tribes along the rivers; the semi-nomadic Baggara of Kordofan and Darfur; the Hamitic Beja in the Red Sea area and Nubians of the northern Nile areas, some of whom have been resettled on the Atbara River; and the Nuba of southern Kordofan and Fur in the western reaches of the country.
The southern
region has a population of around 6 million and a predominantly
rural, subsistence economy. This region has been negatively affected
by war for all but 10 years since independence in 1956, resulting
in serious neglect, lack of infrastructure development, and major
destruction and displacement. More than 2 million people have
died, and more than 4 million are internally displaced or have
become refugees as a result of the civil war and war-related impacts.
Here the Sudanese practice mainly indigenous traditional beliefs,
although Christian missionaries have converted some. The south
also contains many tribal groups and many more languages are used
than in the north. The Dinka--whose population is estimated at
more than 1 million--is the largest of the many black African
tribes of the Sudan. Along with the Shilluk and the Nuer, they
are among the Nilotic tribes. The Azande, Bor, and Jo Luo are
“Sudanic” tribes in the west, and the Acholi and Lotuhu
live in the extreme south, extending into Uganda.
In 2007, Sudan's population reached an estimated 39 million. With the establishment of the National Population Census Council, a population census began in April 2008 in preparation for national elections in 2009. The population of metropolitan Khartoum (including Khartoum, Omdurman, and North Khartoum) is growing rapidly and ranges from 6-7 million, including around 2 million internally displaced persons from the former southern war zone as well as western and eastern regions affected by drought, conflict, and marginalization. In Darfur, there are an estimated 2.4 million internally displaced persons, another 250,000 refugees in 12 camps in neighboring Chad, and an additional 5,000-7,000 in the border area.
Nationality: Noun and adjective (sing. and pl.)--Sudanese.
Population (2007 est.): 39.4 million; 30%-33% urban.
Annual growth rate (2007 est.): 2.1%.
Ethnic groups: Arab/Muslim North and black African/Christian and animist South.
Religions: Islam (official), indigenous beliefs (Southern Sudan), Christianity.
Languages: Arabic (official), English, tribal languages.
Education: Years compulsory--8. Attendance--35%-40%. Literacy--61%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--92/1,000. Life expectancy--49.1 years.
Work force: Agriculture--80%; industry and commerce--7%; government--13%.
