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

Saudi Arabia is giving Sudan billions of dollars’ worth of UAVs and air defenses purchased from Pakistan, and even fifth-generation Chinese fighter jets.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

The Oxford research team had already been working on similar vaccines for the Sudan species of Ebolavirus and Marburg virus.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

U.S. officials have prohibited foreigners who have been to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past three weeks from entering the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The outbreak's epicentre is in northeastern Ituri province on the border with Uganda and South Sudan.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Joe looked at me and knew what I was thinking: he whispered to me not to intervene, as we were guests in the Sudan and did not want to offend our host’s hospitality.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela