Sudan lies in Northern Africa, part of Africa. In formal use it is Republic of the Sudan. Khartoum is the capital.
Around 50.4 million people live there, placing it 30th of 250 by population — between South Korea above it and Uganda below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 2nd of 7 in size and 2nd in population.
By land area it covers 1,886,068 km², which ranks it 17th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Indonesia and just ahead of Libya. For scale, it is almost exactly the same size as Indonesia.
Location, borders and position
Its reference point sits at 15.0° north and 30.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,670 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
7 countries share a land border with it: the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan. The largest of them by area is Libya, while the most populous is Ethiopia. Together those neighbours hold about 297.1 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Population divided by land area gives roughly 27 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Someone from Sudan is a Sudanese.
Officially it is multilingual, listing Arabic and English. Arabic, the first listed, is shared with 24 other entries worldwide.
Inside Africa it places 8th of 59 by population, and it accounts for 19% of everyone living in Northern Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
Money there is the Sudanese pound (PT, SDG). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Sudan.
Websites there use the .sd domain. Calls from overseas start with +249. Standard country codes: sd and SDN.
Khartoum is the city to remember for this country.
Sudan is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Sudan shares borders with 7 countries:
Fun facts about Sudan
- Population density works out at roughly 27 people per square kilometre.
- Arabic is official here and in 24 other entries worldwide.
- Thailand and the Philippines sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Its full official name is Republic of the Sudan.
- Websites based there use the .sd domain.
- It shares land borders with 7 countries: the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan.
- It is 30th of 250 by population, with about 50.4 million residents.
- Within Northern Africa it is the 2nd largest of 7.
Sudan — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Sudan?
- The capital of Sudan is Khartoum.
- What currency does Sudan use?
- Sudan uses the Sudanese pound, written PT (currency code SDG). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What language is spoken in Sudan?
- Sudan lists 2 official languages: Arabic and English.
- Where is Sudan located?
- Sudan is in Northern Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 15.0° north and 30.0° east, roughly 1,670 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- How big is Sudan?
- Sudan covers 1,886,068 km², ranking 17th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Indonesia.
- What is the population of Sudan?
- Sudan has a population of about 50.4 million, which makes it the 30th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. South Korea sits just above it and Uganda just below.
- Is Sudan a country?
- Yes. Sudan is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Sudan?
- Sudan borders 7 countries: the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan. Libya is the largest of them by area.
