Kurdufan
|
Location of Kurdufan in Sudan |
Kurdufan (sometimes
Kordofan) is a former province of central
Sudan. In
1994 it was divided into three new federal
states:
North Kurdufan,
South Kurdufan, and
West Kurdufan.
Kurdufan covers an area of some 146,932 km² (56,730 miles²); with an estimated population in
2000 of 3.6 million (3 million in
1983). It is largely undulating plain, with the
Nuba Mountains in the south east quarter. During the rainy season from June to September the area is fertile, but in the dry season it is virtually desert. The region's chief town is
El Obeid.
Traditionally the area is known for production of
gum Arabic. Other crops include
groundnuts,
cotton, and
millet. The main ethnic groups are the
Nuba,
Shilluk, and
Dinka. Large grazing areas used by Arabic-speaking, semi-nomadic
Baggara and camel-raising
Kababish.
The
Kordofanian languages are spoken by a small minority in southern Kordofan and are unique to the region, as are the
Kadu languages.
The
Mahdi captured
El Obeid in
1883. The
Egyptian government dispatched a force from
Cairo under the
British General
William Hicks, which was ambushed and annihilated at
Sheikan to the south of El Obeid. Following British reoccupation in
1898, Kurdufan was added to the number of provinces of the Sudan.
