Sudan is a country located in Northeastern Africa. The Sudan derives from the Arabic expression bilād al-sūdān (“land of the blacks”) (Sudan history). Sudan’s official name is Republic of the Sudan. In 2011 south Sudan seceded from the country. When the two were combined they were the largest country in Africa.
According to Diamond in the book Guns, Germs, and Steel human existence started about 6 million years in Africa (Diamond, J.). Due to the fertile crescent being in the northern part of Africa, this was able to help humans grow and develop crops and thus helping to expand the human race by human being able to survive longer. Humans began to descend from Northern Africa by heading south by way of the Nile river.
“Archaeological excavation of sites on the Nile above Aswan has confirmed human habitation in the river valley during the Paleolithic period that spanned more than 60,000 years of Sudanese history” (Sudan). The humans were able to supplement the food that they gathered during hunting and fishing, by growing grain and herding cattle. The land near the Nile river that runs through Sudan had made this a wonderful place to live.
Kerma was the capital city of the Kingdom of Kerma. Kerma was located in present day Sudan about 5,500 years ago (Topic). The community of pre-Kerma was an agro-pastoral community. They grew crops and raised animals. They were also able to trade with Egypt by accessing the Nile. This was a highly organized town. They begin politics and grew socially and economically. They also began to have advanced levels of defense systems.
“Since ancient times the Sudan region has been an arena for interaction between the cultural traditions of Africa and those of the Mediterranean world. Islam and the Arabic language achieved ascendancy in many northern parts of the region, while older African languages and cultures predominated in the south (Sudan history). Even dating back to around 1720 B.C. Karmah which is near present day Dunqulah was a rich kingdom. Archaeologist have found, “gold from the eastern desert, cattle pastoralism, and trade along the Nile were other sources of wealth” (Karmah archaeological site).
References:
Diamond, J. (1997). UP TO THE STARTING LINE. In Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies (p. 36). New York: W.W. Norton &.
Karmah | archaeological site, The Sudan. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015.
Sudan - EARLY HISTORY. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2015.
Sudan | history - geography. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2015.
Topic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015.
Population:
Current Population in Sudan as of July 2015: 40 541 160
Vegitation
Vegetation in Sudan: The different types of vegetation in Sudan is important for growing crops as well as what types of domesticated animals will be able to be raised in certain areas. APA Citation: Environment : Vegetation. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article176
ADDITIONAL Resources
1. Sudan - EARLY HISTORY. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://countrystudies.us/sudan/3.htm This website is a great site to learn some of the early history of the country of Sudan. Some of the conflicts that happened during the eighth millennium B.C. that helped to shape the country to become one of the largest countries in Africa.
2. History. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://www.ancientsudan.org/history_14_pre_kerma.htm This website is another great resource to learn about the ancient history of Sudan. There are many different tabs that you can click on that will give you different types of information about what Sudan was like in ancient times.
Climate
Climate in Sudan: The climate in Sudan is very important now and during the early settlement of the country. Climate will help the people know what types of crops can grow and when and where in the country they can be grown. APA Citation: AFRICA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2015, from https://ilstuafrica.wikispaces.com/Sudan Geography
POPULATION Pyramids
Sudan Population pyramid 1950
Sudan Population pyramid 2015
Between the two population pyramids for Sudan we can see that birth rates are not as high in 2015 as they were in 1950. However we can also see that death rates for the elderly are about the same in 2015 as they were in 1950.