Cre8tive Play: 2020 Travel the World

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Sudan

Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. Its land bordering countries are Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad and Libya.

The area occupied by Sudan is slightly more than one-quarter the size of the United States.

On January 1, 1956, Sudan gained independence from Egypt and the UK. The independent state of the Republic of Sudan was born on July 9, 2011.

Sudan is the 16th largest country in the world by land area.

Sudan split into two countries in 2011 (North Sudan and South Sudan) after the people of the south voted for independence.

Sudan was once the largest and the most geographically diverse state in South Africa. However, it was split into two countries in July 2011. Now, it is the third largest country in Africa (after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

While the majority of the population speaks English, as much as 60 dialects – known as the Nilo-Saharan languages – are used in the country as well.

Most of the roads in Sudan are not asphalted and therefore completely unsuitable for travel during the rainy season.

Sudan is a poor country, despite its potential resources. Sudan’s economy is basically agricultural, with inadequate infrastructure and ridden by civil wars and social and ethnic conflict.

Its main agricultural products include cotton, peanuts, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, tapioca, mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame, and livestock.

The Sudan’s main natural resource is petroleum.

Precious stones and metals are Sudan's largest export items.

The White Nile and the Blue Nile are the two tributaries of the Nile. These two tributaries merge at Khartoum—the capital of Sudan—becoming the Nile River proper before flowing into Egypt.

All rivers and streams in the Sudan drain either toward or into the Nile River.

The Red Sea is the lowest point in Sudan.

Sudan suffers from periodic droughts, desertification, soil erosion, declining wildlife and inadequate supply of potable water.

Sudan experiences tropical weather in the south (where you can find striking mountains) and has an arid desert in the North.

Sudan is nicknamed the Arab world’s food basket, as it accounts for 45% of arable land in the Arab world.

A significant part of the economy of Sudan is the ox-driven water wheel. The wheel, which was first introduced in Sudan about four centuries before Christ, is still in operation in the country.

Some animals you will find in nature in the Sudan, are elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, antelope, rhinoceroses, and antelope.

Alcohol is forbidden in the Sudan. When Sharia law was first enforced in 1983, the whole country’s stock of alcohol was poured into the Nile River.

Sudan is known as the place with the world's largest collection of pyramids. There are over 200 recorded pyramids in the country.

In Sudan, priests and high-ranking officials would often be buried with a small pyramid atop their grave.

A haboob, a type of an intense dust storm, can occur in Central Sudan (May through July), reducing visibility to zero.

With a hot desert climate, Sudan’s capital is often considered one of the hottest major cities in the world. The temperatures can exceed 127 degrees.

Sudan has one doctor for every 10,000 people, which is significantly less than the WHO recommendation of 45 doctors for 10,000 people.

There are approximately 50,000 deaf people in Sudan.

Sudan is the world’s largest producer of gum arabic. This is a natural resin which comes from the acacia trees growing across the central belt. The gum can be used as a glue on stamps or in inks and paints. But it is most valued for its use in foods such as sweets and fizzy drinks.

Petroleum is Sudan’s major natural resource.

The Neur tribe of southern Sudan has a tradition of “ghost marriage.” A man may marry a woman as a stand-in for his deceased brother. The children that are born of this union will be considered descendants of the dead man–the “ghost”. The ghost is the socially recognized father.

Hospitality takes center stage in Sudan. When a visitor arrives, refreshments are served almost immediately, followed by meals. Irrespective of the host’s economic situation or the contents of their refrigerator, the guests will be offered everything they have.

When invited to a Sudanese home for dinner, it is the custom to eat at approximately 9:00 or 9:30 p.m. After dinner, tea is served, and very shortly after tea, the visitors take their leave.

The most popular sports in Sudan are athletics (track and field) and football.

Sudan has 530-mile coastline bordering the Red Sea.

The most common and popular water sport in Sudan is scuba diving. This is unsurprising, given the variety of corals and fishes that are found in the shallow waters of the Red Sea bed.

Sudanese weddings are times of great festivity lasting several days. The climax of the ceremony is the bridal dancing.

I decided to let this Sudan fact be the inspiration for this week's card... The country's first shopping mall opened in 2004. It is called the Afra Mall and is located in Khartoum.