Sudan

American  

[soo-dan] / suˈdæn /

noun

1. a region in North Africa, south of the Sahara and Libyan Deserts, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.

2. Formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.  Also called North Sudan.  Republic of the Sudan, a republic in northeastern Africa, south of Egypt and bordering on the Red Sea: a former condominium of Egypt and Great Britain. 728,215 square miles (1,886,068 square kilometers). Khartoum.

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Sudan British  

/ -ˈdæn, suːˈdɑːn /

noun

1. Former name (1899–1956): Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.  French name: Soudan.  a republic in NE Africa, on the Red Sea: conquered by Mehemet Ali of Egypt (1820–22) and made an Anglo-Egyptian condominium in 1899 after joint forces defeated the Mahdist revolt; became a republic in 1956; a lengthy civil war between separatists in the mainly Christian south and the government resulted in independence for South Sudan following a referendum in 2011. It consists mainly of a plateau, with the Nubian Desert in the north. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: Muslim; there are Christian and animist minorities. Currency: Sudanese pound or Sudani (replacing the Sudanese dinar in 2007). Capital: Khartoum. Pop: 34 847 910 (2013 est). Area: 1 861 484 sq km (718 723 sq miles)

2. a region stretching across Africa south of the Sahara and north of the tropical zone: inhabited chiefly by Negroid tribes rather than Arabs

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Sudan Cultural  

1. Republic in northeastern Africa, bordered on the north by Egypt (see also Egypt); on the east by the Red Sea and Ethiopia; on the south by Kenya, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of Congo; and on the west by the Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya. Its capital is Khartoum, and its largest city is Omdurman.

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Discover More

Sudan was under the joint rule of Britain and Egypt (though Britain exercised actual control) from 1899 to 1956.

Recently, it has been plagued by famine and civil war.

Example Sentences

Sudan remains locked in a three‑year power struggle between the regular army and the RSF paramilitaries.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

Analysts say capturing it would consolidate RSF control over western Sudan and potentially open the way for a push towards the capital.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

It also will likely pave the way for the administration to end TPS benefits for those from other developing countries around the globe, including Afghanistan, Nepal, South Sudan and Venezuela.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

"We've seen it in places like Sudan, which is the world's largest displacement crisis as a result of the war there," she added.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

It passed through as many as sixteen generations of infection as it jumped from person to person in Sudan.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston