Religion in Sudan

The two major religions in Sudan, Islam and Christianity, originally from outside, but each entered very early in its respective history and each is still deeply rooted there. Christianity was introduced to Sudan before A.D. 400 and flourished there in the ancient Sudanese kingdom until one thousand years later when Islam arrived and eventually became the majority religion ( Encyclopedia, the region in Africa). After 1848, however, Christianity again received a strong following in the country.

Today, over 70% of the Sudanese claim to be Moslems. Christianity counts adherent amounting to 20% of the Sudan’s population, the great majority of who are black Africans from the south, the Nubba Mountains and southern Blue Nile, with a dwindling band of Coptic Christians indigenous to the north.

Most of the remainder of the Sudanese is adherent of traditional African religions. Sudan is also home to small numbers of Jews, Hindus and adherents of other major faith, and some atheists and agnostics.