Page last updated on February 5, 2013

Location:
north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,861,484 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 16
land: NA
water: NA

Area - comparative:
slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 6,751 km
border countries: Central African Republic 175 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,275 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 769 km, Libya 383 km, South Sudan 2,184 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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
853 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Jabal Marrah 3,071 m

Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower

Land use:
arable land: NA
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: NA
other: NA (2005)

Irrigated land:
18,630 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
154 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
dominated by the Nile and its tributaries