COUNTRY PROFILE: SUDAN

December 2004

COUNTRY

Formal Name: Republic of the Sudan (Jumhuriyat as-Sudan).

Short Form: Sudan.

Term for Citizen(s): Sudanese.

Capital: Khartoum.

Other Major Cities: Omdurman, Khartoum North, Port

Sudan, Kassala, Al Ubayyid, and Nyala (according to decreasing

size, 1993 census).

Independence: Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom and Egypt on January 1, 1956.

Public Holidays: Sudan observes the following public holidays: Independence Day (January 1, 2004), Feast of the Sacrifice/Id al-Adha (February 1, 2004*), Islamic New Year (February 22, 2004*), Uprising Day, anniversary of 1985 coup (April 6, 2004), Coptic Easter Monday/Sham an-Nassim (April 12, 2004*), Birth of the Prophet/Mouloud (May 2, 2004*), Revolution Day (June 30, 2004), end of Ramadan/Id al-Fitr (November 14, 2004*), and Christmas (December 25, 2004). The asterisk indicates holidays with variable dates according to the Islamic or Coptic calendar.

Flag:

Sudan’s flag has three horizontal bands of red (top), white, and

black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side.