Situated in
northeast Africa, the Sudan is the largest country on the continent. It is
bordered with Egypt to the north, Ethiopia and Eritrea to the southeast, Kenya,
Uganda and Zaire to the south, the Central Africa Republic and Chad to the west
and Libya to the northwest.
The greatest part of Sudan is vast plain
traversed by the northward flowing Nile River and its tributaries. Widely
separated mountain chains and many hilly areas reach a maximum altitude of
7,000ft. The northern area is mainly desert, with rock at or near the surface
covered by thin soils of low fertility. The western undulating sandy wastes
merge into the Red Sea Hills to the east.
The dominating geographical
feature of Sudan is the Nile River, formed near Khartoum by the confluence of
the Blue Nile and White Nile Rivers. There are natural harbours at Port Sudan
and Sawakin on the Red Sea. The highest elevations are in the Marra Mountains,
the main mountain range.
Lowest Point: Red Sea 0m
Highest Point: Kinyeti 3,187m
