The name of the country comes from the "Bilad Assudan" (land of the blacks). Arabic is the official language in the country and Islam is the official religion of the state. However, there is a large non-Muslim and non-Arabic speaking population.

 The Sudan is located in north-eastern Africa. It is the largest country of the African continent, bounded on the north by Egypt, on the east by the Red Sea, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, on the south by Kenya, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo and on the west by the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya. The total area of the Sudan is 2,505,800 sq km (967,490 sq mi).

The country consists of several ethnic groups. The British policy during the Anglo-Egyptian condominium (1899-1955) intensified the divide between the north and the south because Britain established separate administrations for the two parts and ban northerners to enter the south according the so-called Closed Districts Law.

Considerable regional differences occur in Sudan's climate. In the northern desert areas, the weather is hot and dry, with almost no rainfall, and temperatures reach a maximum of 43.3 degrees C (110 degrees F). Lowest temperatures in winter can be as low as 4.4 degrees C (40 degrees F), particularly at night. The region is prone to severe dust storms, known as haboobs.

In the central region around Khartoum, temperatures are slightly lower, with an annual average of about 26.7 degrees C (about 80 degrees F). About 254mm (10 inches) of rain falls annually, mostly between the months of June and September.

Southern Sudan has an equatorial climate, with high temperatures, high rainfall and very high humidity. The average annual temperature in this region is about 29.4 degrees C (about 85 degrees F), with an annual rainfall of more than 1015mm (more than 40 inches). In the extreme south, the rainy season can last for almost nine months.

Situated in the northeastern corner of the African continent, the Sudan is divided into three distinct geographical regions.

The northern area, comprising about 30% of the country, consists of barren desert plains, the stony Nubian desert lying to the east of the River Nile and the sandier Libyan desert to the west. The River Nile cuts through these desert lands, and in many places the arid desert landscape reaches right up to its banks. In some places, a narrow fertile strip separates the river from the desert.

The central region of the Sudan consists of steppes and low mountains. Near the city of Khartoum, the two main sources of the Nile River, known as the Blue and the White Nile, converge. The Blue Nile rises from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows across east central Sudan. The much longer White Nile has its source at Lake Victoria on the border with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The southern region, known as the Sudd, contains vast swamps and rain forests. On its journey through this region on the way to Khartoum, the White Nile loses about 60% of its water through evaporation. Once the two headstreams converge to become the Nile proper, they are fed by many tributaries as the river flows north.

There are several mountain ranges in the Sudan. In the west, the Jebel Marra is the country's highest range. Others include the Nuba Mountains near Khartoum, the Matong and Dongatona ranges in the south and the rugged Red Sea Hills to the east, which give way to a narrow coastal strip about 700 km long.

Sudan's highest peak is Mount Kinyeti, which rises to a height of 3187 metres (10,456 feet) in the south-eastern Immatong Mountains.

The railway system in the Sudan is extensive, with about 5,500km (3,420 miles) of track linking most of the major towns and cities. It is, however, in a poor state of repair and is currently operating at about one-fifth of its capacity. Most of the railway system dates from Kitchener's offensive against the Mahdi in the 1890's, and is a narrow gauge, single-track line.

There are three classes of travel on the Sudanese railway. First-class compartments carry six passengers, while no limit seems to be fixed on the numbers in second and third classes, so these can be very crowded. Some passengers even ride for free on the carriage roofs. This practice is not recommended, however, as accidents have been known to occur.

Places to visit in Omdurman

Souq: This is the largest in the Sudan, and has an interesting variety of goods on display. Ivory and ebony candlesticks are carved by market craftsmen, goldsmiths and silversmiths fashion all kinds of jewelry in their shop-fronts, and the atmosphere is lively and bustling. The best time to visit is on Friday mornings.

Camel Market: This is situated about 2km north of Omdurman's main souq. Animals are mostly brought from eastern or western areas of the Sudan.

Tomb of the Mahdi: On the death of the Mahdi in 1885, his body was entombed in a silver-domed mosque in Omdurman. This was completely destroyed by Kitchener in 1898, when the Mahdi's body was burned and his ashes thrown into the river. In 1947 the Mahdi's son had the mosque and tomb rebuilt. Not surprisingly, it is closed to foreigners, but can be viewed from the outside.

 Beit al-Khalifa: This is situated opposite the Mahdi's tomb. Once the home of the Mahdi's successor, the house was built of mud and brick in 1887, and is now a museum. It contains relics from Mahdiyya battles, including guns, war banners and suits of mail. An interesting collection of photographs depicts the city of Khartoum at the time of the Mahdi's revolt and its subsequent occupation by the British.

Khartoum is one of three sister cities, built at the convergence of the Blue and White Niles: Omdurman to the north-west across the White Nile, North Khartoum, and Khartoum itself on the southern bank of the Blue Nile.

Khartoum has a relatively short history. It was first established as a military outpost in 1821, and is said to derive its name from the thin spit of land at the convergence of the rivers, which resembles an elephant's trunk (khurtum). Khartoum grew rapidly in prosperity during the boom years of the slave trade, between 1825 and 1880. In 1834 it became the capital of the Sudan, and many explorers from Europe used it as a base for their African expeditions.

Khartoum was sacked twice during the latter half of the 19th century -- once by the Mahdi and once by Kitchener when the Mahdi was ousted. In 1898, Kitchener began to rebuild the city, and designed the streets in the shape of the British flag, the Union Jack, which he hoped would make it easier to defend. On the opposite bank of the Nile, North Khartoum was developed as an industrial area at about the same time.

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