Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 46.1%
male: 57.7%
female: 34.6%
Government —————
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Data code: SU
Type of government: transitional - previously ruling military junta; presidential and National Assembly elections held in March 1996; new constitution to be drafted by the National Assembly
Capital: Khartoum
Administrative divisions: 9 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or
wilayah*); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile), Al Wusta*, Al Istiwa'iyah*
(Equatoria), Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al
Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
note: on 14 February 1994, the 9 states comprising Sudan were
divided into 26 new states; the following spellings have been
reported but not approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Bahr
Aljebal, Blue Nile, Bohayrat, East Equatoria, Gedarif, Gezira,
Jungle, Kassala, Khartoum, North, North Bahr Alghazal, North Darfur,
North Kordofan, Red Sea, River Nile, Sinnar, South Darfur, South
Kordofan, Unity, Upper Nile, Warab, West Bahr Alghazal, West Darfur,
West Kordofan, West Equatoria, White Nile)
Independence: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
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 to be drafted following national elections held in March 1996