Sudan vs. South Sudan
Geography
| Sudan | South Sudan | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea | East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 00 N, 30 00 E | 8 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: 644,329 sq km land: NA water: NA |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US | more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas |
| 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: 6,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 1055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2158 km, Uganda 475 km note: South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan |
| Coastline | 853 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November) | hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north |
| Terrain | generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north | plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Marrah 3,042 m lowest point: Red Sea 0 m mean elevation: 568 m | highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m lowest point: White Nile 381 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower | hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver |
| 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: 45% (2018) arable land: 4.4% (2018) permanent pasture: 40.7% (2018) forest: 11.3% (2018) other: 43.5% (2018) |
| Irrigated land | 18,900 sq km (2012) | 1,000 sq km (2012) |
| 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
| water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife conservation and loss of biodiversity; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought |
| 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-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| 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 | landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands |
| Total renewable water resources | 37.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 49.5 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 | clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
