Chapter 7: Focus on Africa: Workforce Development and Education in the Sudan

The Republic of the Sudan is the largest country in Africa (25 million square kilometers), with Khartoum being its capital. About one quarter the size of the United States, the Sudan is located in the east-central part of Africa surrounded by Egypt to the north, Ethiopia and Eritrea to the east, Uganda and Kenya to the south, and Central Africa, Chad, and Libya to the west. The Sudan is an Arab/African country with a population of 37 million people according to 2002 estimates. It is both multitribal and multicultural in origin. The official language is Arabic, although English is commonly used particularly in the southern part of the country. The country is divided into 26 states that are governed by a military junta in power since 1989. The government represents an alliance between the military and the National Congress Party (NCP) and is Islamic in orientation.