Sudan: Time in history
Sudan faces decisive moment as the semi-autonomous south begins a referendum. To secede or not to secede?
Published On 3 Jan 2011
Sudan is the third-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, behind Nigeria and Angola. Last year it produced 490,000 barrels of oil a day. Most of the oil is in the south, but the pipelines run through the north.
In 2005 the north and south signed a peace accord, ending a civil war that spanned more than two decades. About two million people died in the conflict.
Below are key dates in the history of Sudan: