Located in north-eastern Africa, the Republic of Sudan is the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest in the world. It is geographically split into east and west by the Nile River, and politically split along too many lines to mention. Evidence indicates that the area was inhabited at least 60,000 years ago with permanent settlements and culture appearing around 8,000 years ago. Sudan's tumltous relationship with Egypt dates back to the 8th century BCE. Ravaged by two civil wars (1955 to 1972 and 1983 to c.1989), millions of people have been killed in the country, including genocide in the Darfur region. Besides its internal conflicts, Sudan has experienced ongoing problems with its neighbours and internationally, "owing to what is viewed as its aggressively Islamic stance." A military coup in 1989 resulted in authoritarian rule under one party that introduced Islamic legal code nationwide.
Sudan on Wikipedia
