Sudan vs. Central African Republic
Geography
| Sudan | Central African Republic | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | north-eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 00 N, 30 00 E | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,861,484 sq km land: 1,731,671 sq km water: 129,813 sq km | total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than one-fifth the size of the US | slightly smaller than Texas; about four times the size of Georgia |
| Land boundaries | total: 6,819 km border countries (7): Central African Republic 174 km, Chad 1403 km, Egypt 1276 km, Eritrea 682 km, Ethiopia 744 km, Libya 382 km, South Sudan 2158 km note: Sudan-South Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei region pending negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan | total: 5,920 km border countries (6): Cameroon 901 km, Chad 1556 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1747 km, Republic of the Congo 487 km, South Sudan 1055 km, Sudan 174 km |
| Coastline | 853 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | hot and dry; arid desert; rainy season varies by region (April to November) | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| Terrain | generally flat, featureless plain; desert dominates the north | vast, flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Jabal Marrah 3,042 m lowest point: Red Sea 0 m mean elevation: 568 m | highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,410 m lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m mean elevation: 635 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 100% (2018 est.) arable land: 15.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 84.2% (2018 est.) forest: 0% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 8.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.1% (2018 est.) forest: 36.2% (2018 est.) other: 55.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 18,900 sq km (2012) | 10 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | dust storms and periodic persistent droughts | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water scarcity and periodic drought; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; deforestation; loss of biodiversity
| water pollution; tap water is not potable; poaching and mismanagement have diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation; soil erosion |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note | the Nile is Sudan's primary water source; its major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, meet at Khartoum to form the River Nile which flows northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa |
| Total renewable water resources | 37.8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 141 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan, which extends into the dry Sahara, is sparsely populated; more abundant vegetation and broader access to water increases population distribution in the south extending habitable range along nearly the entire border with South Sudan; sizeable areas of population are found around Khartoum, southeast between the Blue and White Nile Rivers, and througout South Darfur as shown on this population distribution map | majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country, especially in and around the capital of Bangui as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
