# States of Sudan

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Below is a list of the 18 states of the Sudan (Arabic names are in parentheses). Prior to 9 July 2011, the Republic of the Sudan was composed of 25 states. The ten southern states now form part of the independent country of South Sudan. Two additional states were created in 2012 within the Darfur region, and one in 2013 in Kordofan, bringing the total to 18.

## States of the Republic of the Sudan

The following 18 states form the territory of the Republic of the Sudan:
States of Sudan :
| Number on map | Location | Seal | State name | State name | ISO 3166-2 code | Capital | Area in km$^2$ (sq mi) | Population (2018) |
| Number on map | Location | Seal | English | Arabic | ISO 3166-2 code | Capital | Area in km$^2$ (sq mi) | Population (2018) |
| 1 | | | Khartoum | ولاية الخرطوم (Wilāyat al-Kharṭūm) | KH | Khartoum | 22,142 km$^2$ (8,549 sq mi) | 7,993,900 |
| 2 | | | North Kordofan | شمال كردفان (Shamāl Kurdufān) | KN | el-Obeid | 185,302 km$^2$ (71,546 sq mi) | 3,174,029 |
| 3 | | | Northern | الشمالية (ash-Shamālīyah) | NO | Dongola | 348,765 km$^2$ (134,659 sq mi) | 936,255 |
| 4 | | | Kassala | كسلا (Kassalā) | KA | Kassala | 52,949 km$^2$ (20,444 sq mi) | 2,519,071 |
| 5 | | | Blue Nile | النيل الأزرق (an-Nīl al-Azraq) | NB | ad-Damazin | 45,844 km$^2$ (17,700 sq mi) | 1,108,391 |
| 6 | | | North Darfur | شمال دارفور (Shamāl Dārfūr) | DN | al-Fashir | 296,420 km$^2$ (114,450 sq mi) | 2,304,950 |
| 7 | | | South Darfur | جنوب دارفور (Janūb Dārfūr) | DS | Nyala | 81,000 km$^2$ (31,000 sq mi) | 5,353,025 |
| 8 | | | South Kordofan | جنوب كردفان (Janūb Kurdufān) | KS | Kadugli | 158,355 km$^2$ (61,141 sq mi) | 2,107,623 |
| 9 | | | Gezira | الجزيرة (al-Jazīrah) | GZ | Wad Madani | 27,549 km$^2$ (10,637 sq mi) | 5,096,920 |
| 10 | | | White Nile | النيل الأبيض (an-Nīl al-Abyaḑ) | NW | Rabak | 39,701 km$^2$ (15,329 sq mi) | 2,493,880 |
| 11 | | | River Nile | نهر النيل (Nahr an-Nīl) | NR | ad-Damir | 122,123 km$^2$ (47,152 sq mi) | 1,511,442 |
| 12 | | | Red Sea | البحر الأحمر (al-Baḥr al-Aḥmar) | RS | Port Sudan | 218,887 km$^2$ (84,513 sq mi) | 1,482,053 |
| 13 | | | al Qadarif | القضارف (al-Qaḍārif) | GD | el-Gadarif | 75,263 km$^2$ (29,059 sq mi) | 2,208,385 |
| 14 | | | Sennar | سنار (Sinnār) | SI | Singa | 37,844 km$^2$ (14,612 sq mi) | 1,918,692 |
| 15 | | | West Darfur | غرب دارفور (Gharb Dārfūr) | DW | el Geneina | 23,550 km$^2$ (9,090 sq mi) | 1,775,945 |
| 16 | | | Central Darfur | وسط دارفور (Wasaṭ Dārfūr) | DC | Zalingei | 46,729 km$^2$ (18,042 sq mi) | 2,499,000 |
| 17 | | | East Darfur | شرق دارفور (Sharq Dārfūr) | DE | Ed Daein | 52,867 km$^2$ (20,412 sq mi) | 1,587,200 |
| 18 | | | West Kordofan | غرب كردفان (Gharb Kurdufān) | GK | al-Fulah | 111,373 km$^2$ (43,001 sq mi) | 1,945,450 (2014) |
The 10 states of South Sudan were part of the Republic of Sudan until 2021 when South Sudan became an independent country.

### Special administrative areas

* The Abyei Area, located on the border between South Sudan and the Republic of the Sudan, currently has a special administrative status and is governed by an Abyei Area Administration. It was due to hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to be part of South Sudan or part of the Republic of Sudan.

### Regional bodies

In addition to the states, there also exist regional administrative bodies established by peace agreements between the central government and rebel groups:
* The Darfur Regional Government was established by the Darfur Peace Agreement to act as a co-ordinating body for the states that make up the region of Darfur.
* The Eastern Sudan States Coordinating Council was established by the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement between the Sudanese Government and the rebel Eastern Front to act as a coordinating body for the three eastern states of Red Sea, Kassala, and Al Qadarif.

## Provinces

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was divided into eight provinces, which were ambiguous when created but became well defined by the beginning of World War II. The eight provinces were: Blue Nile, Darfur, Equatoria, Kassala, Khartoum, Kurdufan, Northern, and Upper Nile. In 1948, Bahr al Ghazal split from Equatoria.

## History

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan had eight mudiriyat, or provinces, which were ambiguous when created but became well defined by the beginning of World War II. The eight provinces were: Blue Nile, Darfur, Equatoria, Kassala, Khartoum, Kordofan, Northern, and Upper Nile. In 1948, Bahr al Ghazal split from Equatoria.
There were numerous new provinces created on 1 July 1973. North and South Darfur were created from Darfur, while Kurdufan divided into North and South Kordofan. Gezira and White Nile were split off from Blue Nile. River Nile split off from Northern. Red Sea was split off from Kassala.
A further fracturing of provinces occurred in 1976. Lakes split from Bahr al Ghazal, and Jonglei split off from Upper Nile. Equatoria divided into Eastern and Western Equatoria. There were thus eighteen provinces. In 1991, the government reorganized the administrative regions into nine federal states, matching the nine provinces that had existed from 1948 to 1973. On 14 February 1994, the government reorganized yet again, creating twenty-six wilayat (states). The majority of the wilayat were either the old provinces or administrative subregions of a province. As part of the new government structure in South Sudan in 2005, Bahr al Jabal was renamed Central Equatoria. In 2006, West Kurdufan was split and merged with North Kurdufan and South Kordofan.
In January 2012, the new states of Central Darfur and East Darfur were created in the Darfur region, bringing the total number of states to 17. In July 2013, West Kurdufan was reestablished.
Since the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état, the states in Sudan have been without state governments and legislative councils.

### Former states now part of South Sudan

On 9 July 2011, the ten southern states became the independent country of South Sudan. They were further divided into 86 counties.