soudan

Soudan is a toponym that can refer to more than one place. In the United States, it denotes Soudan, Minnesota, a small city in the northeastern part of the state. The community is best known for the Soudan Underground Mine State Park, which preserves an early deep iron ore mine and offers guided underground tours and exhibits on the region’s mining history.

In French-language usage, Soudan is the name for the country of Sudan, located in northeastern Africa. Its capital is Khartoum, and the country borders the Red Sea and several neighbors, including Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya. Official languages are Arabic and English. The country has a long history shaped by ancient Nubian civilizations and later modern political developments; it achieved independence in 1956. The economy is diversified, with agriculture and energy sectors; the discovery and production of oil have been influential in recent decades. The terrain includes deserts, savannas, and the Nile’s floodplains.