States of Sudan

Sudanese States
الولايات السودانية (Arabic)
CategoryFederated state
LocationRepublic of the Sudan
Number18 states
Populations832,112 (Blue Nile) – 5,274,371 (Khartoum)
Areas22,140 km2 (8,549 sq mi) (Khartoum) – 348,770 km2 (134,659 sq mi) (Northern)
Government
Subdivisions

Below is a list of the 18 states of the Sudan (Arabic names are in parentheses). Prior to 9 July 2011, the Republic of the Sudan was composed of 25 states. The ten southern states now form part of the independent country of South Sudan. Two additional states were created in 2012 within the Darfur region, and one in 2013 in Kordofan, bringing the total to 18.

States of the Republic of the Sudan[edit]

The following 18 states form the territory of the Republic of the Sudan:

States of Sudan
Number
on
map
Location Seal State name ISO
3166-2
code
Capital Area in km2
(sq mi)
Population
(2018)[1]
English Arabic
1 Khartoum ولاية الخرطوم
(Wilāyat al-Kharṭūm)
KH Khartoum 22,142 km2 (8,549 sq mi) 7,993,900
2 North Kordofan شمال كردفان
(Shamāl Kurdufān)
KN el-Obeid 185,302 km2 (71,546 sq mi) 3,174,029
3 Northern الشمالية
(ash-Shamālīyah)
NO Dongola 348,765 km2 (134,659 sq mi) 936,255
4 Kassala كسلا
(Kassalā)
KA Kassala 52,949 km2 (20,444 sq mi)[2] 2,519,071
5 Blue Nile النيل الأزرق
(an-Nīl al-Azraq)
NB ad-Damazin 45,844 km2 (17,700 sq mi) 1,108,391
6 North Darfur شمال دارفور
(Shamāl Dārfūr)
DN al-Fashir 296,420 km2 (114,450 sq mi) 2,304,950
7 South Darfur جنوب دارفور
(Janūb Dārfūr)
DS Nyala 81,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)[3] 5,353,025
8 South Kordofan جنوب كردفان
(Janūb Kurdufān)
KS Kadugli 158,355 km2 (61,141 sq mi) 2,107,623
9 Gezira الجزيرة
(al-Jazīrah)
GZ Wad Madani 27,549 km2 (10,637 sq mi) 5,096,920
10 White Nile النيل الأبيض
(an-Nīl al-Abyaḑ)
NW Rabak 39,701 km2 (15,329 sq mi) 2,493,880
11 River Nile نهر النيل
(Nahr an-Nīl)
NR ad-Damir 122,123 km2 (47,152 sq mi) 1,511,442
12 Red Sea البحر الأحمر
(al-Baḥr al-Aḥmar)
RS Port Sudan 218,887 km2 (84,513 sq mi) 1,482,053
13 al Qadarif القضارف
(al-Qaḍārif)
GD el-Gadarif 75,263 km2 (29,059 sq mi)[4] 2,208,385
14 Sennar سنار
(Sinnār)
SI Singa 37,844 km2 (14,612 sq mi) 1,918,692
15 West Darfur غرب دارفور
(Gharb Dārfūr)
DW el Geneina 23,550 km2 (9,090 sq mi)[5] 1,775,945
16 Central Darfur وسط دارفور
(Wasaṭ Dārfūr)
DC Zalingei 46,729 km2 (18,042 sq mi)[6] 2,499,000
17 East Darfur شرق دارفور
(Sharq Dārfūr)
DE Ed Daein 52,867 km2 (20,412 sq mi)[7] 1,587,200
18 West Kordofan غرب كردفان
(Gharb Kurdufān)
GK al-Fulah 111,373 km2 (43,001 sq mi) 1,945,450 (2014)[8]

Special administrative areas[edit]

  • The Abyei Area, located on the border between South Sudan and the Republic of the Sudan, currently has a special administrative status and is governed by an Abyei Area Administration. It was due to hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to be part of South Sudan or part of the Republic of Sudan.

Regional bodies[edit]

In addition to the states, there also exist regional administrative bodies established by peace agreements between the central government and rebel groups:

History[edit]

Regions of Sudan, July 2006
  Darfur
  South Sudan (held referendum in 2011, seceded in July 2011)
  Abyei (to have held referendum in 2011, postponed indefinitely)
  States to have held "popular consultations" in 2011: South Kordofan (process suspended) and Blue Nile (status unclear)

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan had eight mudiriyat, or provinces, which were ambiguous when created but became well defined by the beginning of World War II. The eight provinces were: Blue Nile, Darfur, Equatoria, Kassala, Khartoum, Kordofan, Northern, and Upper Nile. In 1948, Bahr al Ghazal split from Equatoria.

There were numerous new provinces created on 1 July 1973. North and South Darfur were created from Darfur, while Kurdufan divided into North and South Kordofan. Gezira and White Nile were split off from Blue Nile. River Nile split off from Northern. Red Sea was split off from Kassala.

A further fracturing of provinces occurred in 1976. Lakes split from Bahr al Ghazal, and Jonglei split off from Upper Nile. Equatoria divided into Eastern and Western Equatoria. There were thus eighteen provinces. In 1991, the government reorganized the administrative regions into nine federal states, matching the nine provinces that had existed from 1948 to 1973. On 14 February 1994, the government reorganized yet again, creating twenty-six wilayat (states). The majority of the wilayat were either the old provinces or administrative subregions of a province. As part of the new government structure in South Sudan in 2005, Bahr al Jabal was renamed Central Equatoria. In 2006, West Kurdufan was split and merged with North Kurdufan and South Kordofan.

In January 2012, the new states of Central Darfur and East Darfur were created in the Darfur region, bringing the total number of states to 17.[9] In July 2013, West Kurdufan was reestablished.[10][11]

Since the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état, the states in Sudan have been without state governments and legislative councils.

Former states now part of South Sudan[edit]

On 9 July 2011, the ten southern states became the independent country of South Sudan. They were further divided into 86 counties.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pop. Proj. by satates" (PDF). Government of Sudan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  2. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8661/file/Kassala.pdf
  3. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8781/file/South%20Darfur.pdf
  4. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8651/file/Gedarif.pdf
  5. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8761/file/West%20Darfur.pdf
  6. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8621/file/State%20profile-%20Central%20Darfur.pdf
  7. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8631/file/East%20Darfur.pdf
  8. ^ https://www.unicef.org/sudan/media/8736/file/West%20Kordofan.pdf
  9. ^ "allAfrica.com: Sudan: President Bashir Appoints New State Governors". Archived from the original on 15 January 2012.
  10. ^ Western Kordofan State Archived 2013-08-12 at archive.today
  11. ^ Sudan shuffles governors of Kordofan states including ICC suspect

External links[edit]