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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Sudan
Index
Salient Features: Government-dominated mixed economy.
Modern agriculture sector and most of modern industry controlled
by government corporations directly or through joint ventures;
virtually all small- and medium-sized industry, most services,
traditional agriculture, and handicrafts controlled privately.
Civil war in south, massive influx of refugees from neighboring
countries, and drought in 1980s and 1991 have hampered economic
development. New economic recovery program announced June 1990 to
end economic stagnation, develop agriculture, liberalize trade,
abolish most government monopolies, progressively eliminate
budget deficit, and develop energy resources.
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry:
Agriculture and livestock raising provided livelihood for about
80 percent of population and roughly 95 percent of exports in
early 1990s. Agriculture characterized by modern market-oriented
sector of irrigated and mechanized rainfed farming concentrated
in central part of country and large traditional sector engaged
in subsistence activities elsewhere. Principal modern sector
crops: cotton, sorghum, groundnuts, sugarcane, wheat, sesame.
Traditional sector crops: sorghum, millet, sesame, groundnuts.
Fisheries still largely subsistence occupation. Apart from gum
arabic, a major export, forests used mainly for fuel.
Manufacturing: Public enterprises dominant in modern
manufacturing activity, mainly foodstuffs, beverages, textiles.
Output of government plants generally well below capacities
because of raw materials shortages, power outages, lack of spare
parts, and lack of competent managerial staff and skilled
laborers. Three-quarters of large-scale modern manufacturing in
Al Khartum State.
Mining: Contributed less than 1 percent to gross
domestic product (GDP) in 1990. Most petroleum exploration
operations ended in 1984 because of civil war in south and had
not resumed as of mid-1991.
Energy: Chief sources of energy in 1990: domestic wood,
charcoal, hydroelectric power, imported petroleum; large
hydroelectric potential only partially exploited. Central area of
country served by electric power grid; some towns elsewhere had
local generating facilities.
Foreign Trade: Agricultural products (cotton, gum
arabic, groundnuts, sesame, livestock) dominate exports. Large
trade deficit since late 1970s, accentuated by increased costs of
petroleum imports. Main destinations of exports in 1986: Saudi
Arabia, Japan, Britain, other European Community (EC) members.
Main suppliers: Saudi Arabia (petroleum), Britain, other EC
members, United States, Japan, China.
Data as of June 1991
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