Sudan vs. Egypt
Geography
| Sudan | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 00 N, 30 00 E | 27 00 N, 30 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,861,484 sq km land: 1,731,671 sq km water: 129,813 sq km | total: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US | more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 6,819 km border countries (7): Central African Republic 174 km, Chad 1403 km, Egypt 1276 km, Eritrea 682 km, Ethiopia 744 km, Libya 382 km, South Sudan 2158 km note: Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan | total: 2,612 km border countries (4): Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1115 km, Sudan 1276 km |
| Coastline | 853 km | 2,450 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cyprus continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November) | desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters |
| Terrain | generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north | vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Marrah 3,042 m lowest point: Red Sea 0 m mean elevation: 568 m | highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m mean elevation: 321 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc |
| Land use | agricultural land: 100% (2018 est.) arable land: 15.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 84.2% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 3.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 0.1% (2018 est.) other: 96.3% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 18,900 sq km (2012) | 36,500 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | dust storms and periodic persistent droughts | periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water scarcity and periodic drought; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; deforestation; loss of biodiversity
| agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | the Nile is Sudan's primary water source; its major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, meet at Khartoum to form the River Nile which flows northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea | note 1: controls Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territories note 2: the earliest evidence for wild sorghum cultivation occurs in southern Egypt and dates to roughly 7500 B.C. |
| Total renewable water resources | 37.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 57.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan, which extends into the dry Sahara, is sparsely populated; more abundant vegetation and broader access to water increases population distribution in the south extending habitable range along nearly the entire border with South Sudan; sizeable areas of population are found around Khartoum, southeast between the Blue and White Nile Rivers, and througout South Darfur as shown on this population distribution map | approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
