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Sudan (continued) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—Revolutionary Command Council Chairman and Prime Minister Brig. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 30 June 1989); Deputy Chairman of the Command Council and Deputy Prime Minister Brig. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 9 July 1989)

Political parties and leaders: none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup

Suffrage: none

Elections: none

Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, Arab League, CCC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador ‘Abdallah Ahmad ‘ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 338-8565 through 8570; there is a Sudanese Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador James CHEEK; Embassy at Shar’ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699, Khartoum, or APO New York 09668); telephone 74700 or 75680, 74611

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Economy

Overview: Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is buffeted by civil war, chronic political instability, adverse weather, and counterproductive economic policies. The economy is dominated by governmental entities that account for more than 70% of new investment. The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980. The economy's base is agriculture, which employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes agricultural items. A high foreign debt and arrearages of about $13 billion continue to cause difficulties. Since 1979 the International Monetary Fund has provided assistance and has forced Sudan to make economic reforms aimed at improving the performance of the economy.

GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $340 (FY87); real growth rate 7.0% (FY89 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (FY89)

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget: revenues $514 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $183 million (FY89 est.)

Exports: $550 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.); commodities—cotton 43%, sesame, gum arable, peanuts; partners—Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY88)

Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities—petroleum products, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines and chemicals; partners—Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)

External debt: $11.6 billion (December 1989 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -1.7% (FY89 est.)

Electricity: 606,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining

Agriculture: accounts for 35% of GNP and 80% of labor force; untapped potential for higher farm production; two-thirds of land area suitable for raising crops and livestock; major products cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sheep; marginally self-sufficient in most foods

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $588 million

Currency: Sudanese pound (plural—pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (£Sd) = 100 piasters

Exchange rates: official rate—Sudanese pounds (£Sd) per US$1—4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987), 2.5000 (1986), 2.2883 (1985); note—commercial exchange rate is set daily, 12.2 (March 1990)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Communications

Railroads: 5,500 km total; 4,784 km 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km 1.6096-meter-gauge plantation line

Highways: 20,000 km total; 1,600 km bituminous treated, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km improved earth, 12,399 km unimproved earth and track

Inland waterways: 5,310 km navigable

Pipelines: refined products, 815 km

Ports: Port Sudan, Suakin

Merchant marine: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 91,107 GRT/122,222 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo

Civil air: 14 major transport aircraft

Airports: 78 total, 68 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 31 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: large, well-equipped system by African standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained; consists of radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter; domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 73,400 telephones; stations—4 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force

Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,621,469; 3,437,004 fit for military service; 273,011 reach military age (18) annually

Defense expenditures: 7.2% of GDP, or $610 million (1989 est) 294