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General Information
The Nile is a source of life for the Sudanese
Climate
As Sudan lies wholly within the tropics, it has a tropi-
cal climate that is generally hotter in the north and
cooler in the south. Nevertheless, it is characterised
by a wide range of climatic variations due to the huge
size of the country. The greater part of the country
falls under the influence of the trade winds; hence,
it generally has hot, rainy summers and warm, dry
winters. The amount of rainfall decreases from about
1,500 mm in the south to less than 25 mm in the
northern extremity. The duration of the rainy season
and rainfall and its reliability increases from north to
south. The main rainy season is July to September,
but occasional showers fall in May and June, par-
ticularly in the higher rainfall areas in the south. The
Red Sea Hills have monsoon rains during October
and November. There is little rain in the far north and
central regions, occurring mostly in July and August.
Between April and October severe sandstorms (ha-
boubs) blow frequently in the northern part of the
country. In the south, the rainy season is much heav-
ier and lasts from May to October. High temperatures
characterise the period from March to June, reaching
up to 42°C at daytime and 27°C during the night. July
to October is mild and benign, as the rainy season
begins. November to February is temperate with
short, cold, breezy spells, bringing the temperature
to 30°C at daytime and to less than 16°C at night.
People and Culture
Sudan is an ethnic, religious and linguistic con-
glomeration, consisting of about 596 tribes speak-
ing nearly 115 languages. The main racial elements
consist of indigenous Hemitic (Nubians and Bija)
and Negroid (Nilotics and Equtorians) as well as im-
migrant Arabs. The dominance of Arabs in the north
and Negroes in the south reflects the ethnic compo-
sition of the entire African continent.
The population is now 39 million, composed of 57
ethnic groups subdivided into 596 tribes. They are
classified into five major categories: Arabs (39%),
Nilotics or central southerners (20%), westerners of
Darfur (13%), Nuba (5%) and foreigners (7%). About
70% of the populations are Muslim, 25% are follow-
ers of indigenous beliefs and 5% are Christian.
Language
The official language in Sudan is Arabic. The major-
ity of the educated population and intelligentsia also
speak and write English, which is widely used in the
business and government sectors. Indigenous lan-
guages are widely used. Different Arabic vernacu-
lars serve as lingua franca in the various regions.