About the country
On January 9, 2011, the southern region of Sudan voted overwhelmingly to separate from the north, to which it had been bound ever since independence. This historic event will see the formation of the first new country in Africa in 20 years: the Republic of South Sudan.
However, despite this separation, we have decided to deal with the two countries in a single guidebook. This makes it much easier for people visiting one country to also find out about the other, in case they want to go there too.
Before independence, Sudan was the largest country in Africa by land area and the tenth largest in the world. It straddled two quite separate worlds: the turbulent middle-East and impoverished sub-Saharan Africa.
North Sudan is typified by a predominantly Muslim population, unified by a common belief in Islam, whilst the Republic of South Sudan brings together numerous tribal divisions, many who share historic rivalries.
Centuries ago, when Arab traders first ventured into Sudan from Egypt and across the Red Sea, they encountered a dark-skinned native people quite unlike any they had seen previously. They called the territory 'bilad al-sudan', which means, literally, the 'land of the blacks'.
Sudan's ethnic diversity makes it a fascinating country to explore, with Arabs in the north and indigenous tribes populating the south. Unfortunately, it is this ethnic diversity that has also lead to many of the country's problems.
Since independence in 1956, the country has suffered many years of civil war. The first one lasted 17 years (from 1955 to 1972). The second one started in 1983, and only ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005.
It was something of a triumph that independence ran so smoothly, given all the anxiety that was expressed prior to the referendum. Nonetheless, the toughest challenges still lie ahead: the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) must now work out how they can construct an entire nation, whilst making sure that the region doesn't slide into tribal rivalries and civil war.