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Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of this period (1972-82). The wars are rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effects have led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million people displaced. The ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and an Islamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northern opposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebels and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of several accords, including a cease-fire agreement.
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Country
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Surface Area: 2,505,810 square km
Population: 39,148,162 (July 2004 est.)
Located in: Northern Africa
Capital City: Khartoum
Head of State: Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
Prime Minister: Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR
Independent since: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Currency: Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Flag (image): 
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