10 things you might not know about SUDAN

LAST week, thousands of British citizens were – eventually

– evacuated from Sudan as the country slid into bloody and horrific civil war again.

But what else do we know about this faraway and sultry land?

Here are some facts: 1

ON January 1, 1956, Sudan gained independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom. English is still an official language used widely in the country.

2

SUDAN is home to more pyramids than Egypt.

3

THE name “Sudan” translates to “the land of the blacks” in Arabic. It is taken from the Arabic bild as- sdn. 4THE

White Nile and the Blue Nile are the two tributaries of the River Nile. These two tributaries merge at Khartoum – the capital city of Sudan – later becoming the Nile River proper.

5

IT was once Africa’s largest country but when South Sudan and its 11 million citizens separated from Sudan in 2011, Sudan became Africa’s third- largest country. The population of what’s left of Sudan now stands at 46 million. 6

THE Second Sudanese Civil War lasted 22 years. It began in 1983 and lasted until 2005, killing at least 1.5 million people in bloody fighting. It was the longest of Africa’s many civil wars.

7

SUDAN was the first Muslim and Arab country to appoint a female judge to sit in their courts.

8BRITS

have been evacuated from Khartoum before – when the city was attacked by the forces of Islamist nutter, Muhammad Ahmad, known as The Mahdi – in 1884. General Gordon famously died there.

9

IN 1898, Sudan saw the very last British cavalry charge, at the Battle of Omdurman. Winston Churchill was there.

10SO

was Corporal Jones, out of Dad’s Army.