The Republic of Sudan is an Arab-African country located in northeastern Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast. Sudan has a population of approximately 48 million people (2022 estimate) and an area of ​​1,861,484 square kilometers (718,723 square miles), making it the third largest country by area in Africa and in the Arab world. It was the largest in Africa and the Arab world by area before the secession of South Sudan in 2011. The Nile River divides the territory of Sudan into two parts, eastern and western, and the capital, Khartoum, is located at the confluence of the two main tributaries of the Blue and White Nile. Sudan is located in the middle of the Nile Valley Basin. Sudan gained its independence on January 1, 1956 AD.