The Geography of Sudan Trivia Quiz

Answer: The city of Khartoum

The Blue Nile and the White Nile are the major tributaries of the Nile proper. From their convergence at Khartoum, the Nile continues northward to the Mediterranean. The White Nile and then the combined Nile run the full length south-to-north of Sudan.

The White Nile enters Sudan from Uganda via South Sudan on the south, and the Blue Nile enters from Ethiopia in the east. The river exits Sudan in the north, flowing into Egypt. The Nile's drainage basin is enormous, covering most of the Sudan and South Sudan and, dramatically, about 10 percent of the entire land area of Africa. Khartoum was founded in 1821 as a commercial outpost and grew to become the capital of Sudan.

Incidentally, there is a debate about whether the Nile or the Amazon is the longest river in the world.

Answer: Europe

At 728,215 square miles (1,886,068 sq km), Sudan is nearly one-fifth the land area of Europe. It's the third largest country in Africa and the 15th largest in the world. Prior to the 2011 democratic splitting of Sudan into Sudan and South Sudan, the population density of Sudan was only 38 people per square mile. As of 2017, however, its population density is between 44 and 55 people per square mile, depending on source, which ranks it about 200th of all countries.

Answer: Nubian and the Libyan Deserts

Northern Sudan is a dry, often rainless region. The rich Nile Valley cuts its way through it, generally south to north but forming a large meandering "S" shape. Other than that valley, the region consists of desert: rocky soil with sand dunes, some rocky outcroppings, frequent sandstorms, and almost no permanent cities.

The Libyan Desert lies to the west of the river, and the Nubian Desert to the east. Both of these are of course part of the vast Sahara Desert, which stretches across northern Africa.

The fertile strip of the Nile Valley only extends about 1.2 miles in either direction from the Nile's edge.

Answer: Red Sea

The northeast portion of Sudan borders on the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea. The coastline is about 400 miles long (470 miles counting its inlets and turns) and composed of many coastal lagoons, called marsas, and a good amount of coral reefs. Port Sudan is the principal city on the coast and is a major transportation hub for the country.

Answer: Petroleum

Petroleum, or crude oil, had become Sudan's major export commodity and largest natural resource. Following oil exploration in the 1970s and 1980s, often interrupted by civil war in Sudan, the country began exporting oil products in 1999. Oil became the dominant export, accounting for at least two-thirds of export revenues. Estimates vary greatly, but by 2009, the Sudanese government estimated that oil production was up to about 520,000 barrels a day. Oil reserves have been estimated at five billion barrels. Sudan also has extensive natural gas reserves, as well as other natural resources such as uranium, chromium, gold, silver, manganese, lead, zinc, and copper.

However, South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011, has about 80 percent of the oil reserves. Sudan's economy has suffered greatly from this change.

Answer: Central African Republic

At 109 miles, Sudan's shortest border is with the Central African Republic. It also has borders with Libya (238 miles), Eritrea (376 miles), Ethiopia (478 miles), Egypt (792 miles), Chad (845 miles), and South Sudan (1,357 miles).

Answer: Arabic and English

The country has two official languages according to its constitution: Standard Arabic and English. The spoken Arabic, especially in the north of the country, is a blend unique to Sudan of Egyptian and Arabian Arabic. The southern portion of Sudan sees Nubian, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger-Congo languages. In all, more than 70 languages are spoken. English, of course, is an official language as a result of the colonial period from the late 1800s until independence in 1956, though it only became an official language in the 2005 Sudan constitution.

Answer: Islam

The vast majority of the people living in Sudan are of mixed Arab and Nubian background and practice Islam. In what was the southern part of Sudan, however, the majority are animists or to a smaller extent Christians. These religious differences, among other factors, contributed to the civil wars between the north and south that have plagued Sudan since independence in 1956. On July 9th, 2011, South Sudan became an independent nation.

Answer: Kush

The Kingdom of Kush, which was primarily located in the eastern half of what is now Sudan, conquered Egypt in roughly 727 B.C. The Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, under Kush control, lasted about 75 years. During and following the period when Kushite kings ruled as pharaoh of Egypt, Kush built hundreds of pyramids in the three cities that successively ruled Kush. The building was particularly active in Meroe, the third capital. Kush developed a distinctive style for their "Nubian pyramids," generally smaller and steeper than most Egyptian pyramids.

Answer: Omdurman

Omdurman lies to the west of the Nile, opposite Khartoum and Khartoum North. It is the key locus of commerce in Sudan. During the Mahdist uprising and war in the late 1800s, Omdurman served as military headquarters and then (temporarily) capital. The Mahdi's tomb is in the city. Over time, it became the commercial center of Sudan, and is famous for its souqs (markets).