Sudan is the third largest country in Africa bordering the Red Sea. It has a rich culture and history dating back thousands of years. From its ancient civilizations along the Nile River to its diverse wildlife, Sudan offers many mysteries and wonders to explore. Let’s unravel some of them with these 42 riddles about Sudan!
Geography
Riddle 1
I am a desert in North Sudan, one of the hottest and driest regions on Earth. I am part of the Sahara desert spanning over 10 countries. What am I?
Answer: The Nubian Desert
Riddle 2
I am a long river flowing through Sudan and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Many ancient civilizations flourished along my banks. What river am I?
Answer: The Nile River
Riddle 3
I am Sudan’s highest mountain, rising over 3,000 meters in the country’s northeast. My name comes from the Arabic word for “thirst quencher.” What mountain am I?
Answer: Jebel Marra
History
Riddle 4
I was an ancient Nubian kingdom in modern-day northern Sudan dating back over 3,000 years. The Egyptians referred to us as “vile Kush” though we had a prosperous and formidable civilization. What kingdom was I?
Answer: Kingdom of Kush
Riddle 5
I was a powerful 25th Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh who conquered Egypt from the Nubian kingdom of Kush in northern Sudan. I am considered one of the greatest pharaohs in Egyptian history. Who am I?
Answer: Pharaoh Piye
Riddle 6
We were a series of ancient pyramids built as burial sites for the kings and queens of the Nubian kingdoms of Napata and Meroë in Sudan. Today, our pyramids stand as the largest collection of ancient pyramids in the world after Egypt’s. What landmark are we?
Answer: Meroë pyramids
People & Culture
Riddle 7
I am Sudan’s most popular traditional sport, often played during festivals and celebrations. This high-energy men’s sport is a bit like wrestling, but the goal is for each player to lift and throw his opponent to the ground. What am I?
Answer: Nuba wrestling
Riddle 8
We are a group of over 100 ethno-linguistic indigenous tribes across Sudan with rich cultural traditions. Many of us live in the Nuba Mountains. Collectively, what are we called?
Answer: The Nuba peoples
Riddle 9
I am a hand-built clay structure with a conical thatched roof found in rural villages across Sudan and sub-Saharan Africa. I provide shelter from the elements and handle Sudan’s extreme heat quite well! What type of structure am I?
Answer: Tukul
Wildlife & Nature
Riddle 10
I am Sudan’s national animal and one of Africa’s “Big Five” animals. I am the world’s largest land mammal with distinctive curved horns on the males. What iconic African animal am I?
Answer: The African savanna elephant
Riddle 11
I am Sudan’s highest protected nature reserve, spanning over 29,000 sq km in the country’s southeast bordering Ethiopia. My name refers to the black volcanic peaks found within my borders, formed millions of years ago. What am I?
Answer: Dinder National Park
Riddle 12
We are extremely venomous snakes found in the savannas, forests, and swamps of sub-Saharan Africa including Sudan. Our name literally means “two-step” in Swahili due to our deadly neurotoxic venom that can kill a person in just a few small steps after a bite. What are we?
Answer: Black mambas
Economy & Industry
Riddle 13
I am a popular alcoholic Arabic beverage in Sudan made from millet. My name means “wine of sorghum” in Arabic. What traditional Sudanese beverage am I that is similar to beer?
Answer: Merissa
Riddle 14
We are savory deep-fried fritters popular across Sudan and many regions of Africa and the Middle East. We are often made from beans but can contain vegetables or meat. What are we called?
Answer: Ta’miya (Falafel)
Riddle 15
I am Sudan’s major export alongside gold, accounting for nearly 95% of the country’s exports. China is the biggest buyer of me. What commodity do I refer to?
Answer: Crude oil
Language & Literature
Riddle 16
We are the most widely spoken languages in Sudan. Arabic is the official language while over 100 indigenous languages are also spoken across the country. What two language families do we belong to?
Answer: The Afro-Asiatic languages (which includes Arabic) and the Nilo-Saharan languages
Riddle 17
I am Sudan’s most famous 20th century poet and writer who published his first collection of poems and short stories in the 1960s. My poems often deal with the issues of poverty, corruption, and the oppression of my people under military rule. Who am I?
Answer: Muhammad al-Fayturi
Riddle 18
My classic 1966 satirical novel is considered one of the most important Arabic-language novels of the 20th century. I use allegory and dark humor to criticize the totalitarian rule under General Abboud in Sudan through a metaphorical sheep rebellion against their lion king. What famous political novel am I?
Answer: The Grub Hunter (Al-Taghrib fi Akhti’at al-Jabal)
Science & Innovation
Riddle 19
I am Sudan’s first and oldest university, founded in 1902 under Anglo-Egyptian rule as a colonial academy promoting scientific and technical education. Originally named Gordon Memorial College after General Gordon, what top Sudanese university located in Khartoum am I today?
Answer: University of Khartoum
Riddle 20
I was a pioneering Sudanese surgeon considered the first Muslim female doctor in Africa. I graduated from the London School of Medicine for Women in 1912 before returning to Sudan to open a midwifery clinic. Who was I?
Answer: Dr. Zeinab Bint Al Tayeb El Bakri
Riddle 21
We are an award-winning trio of Sudanese electronics engineers who invented a revolutionary floating egg beater in 2002 powered by angular solar motion alone. Our device won the UK Prince’s Trust award for innovation. What is our collective name?
Answer: The Floating Egg Beaters
Politics & Military
Riddle 22
I was the leader of the Free Officers coup in 1969, overthrowing the civilian government to form a socialist one-party state under my authoritarian rule until I was deposed in 1985. Who am I?
Answer: Jaafar Nimeiry
Riddle 23
I am a Sudanese rebel group formed in 1983 after President Nimeiry declared much of South Sudan exempt from Islamic law, sparking a decade long conflict. My name literally translates to “snake venom.” What was I best known as?
Answer: The Southern Sudanese liberation movement (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army or SPLM/SPLA)
Riddle 24
My birth name was Gong Atek but I changed it when I joined the rebel Anya Nya movement in 1963 against the government of Sudan. I later negotiated an end to Sudan’s first civil war granting South Sudan regional autonomy. Who am I?
Answer: Joseph Lagu
Cities & Places
Riddle 25
I am the capital and largest city of Sudan and Khartoum state, located where the White and Blue Nile rivers merge. Founded in 1821 as an Egyptian army camp, what historic city with over 5 million people am I today?
Answer: Khartoum
Riddle 26
I am the “Red Sea Riviera of Sudan,” a popular coastal resort city overlooking coral reefs and beaches along Sudan’s 480-mile Red Sea coastline. What beach city in Sudan’s northeast region am I?
Answer: Port Sudan
Riddle 27
I am a UNESCO World Heritage site and ancient city of the historic Nubian kingdoms of Kush found in modern-day Sudan. My temples were built during the 25th Egyptian dynasty and I share my name with an adjective referring to something dark or brooding. What “negative-sounding” city am I?
Answer: Sulb (or the darker-sounding Sulbi)
Notable Sudanese People
Riddle 28
I am a Sudanese-British mobile communications entrepreneur known as the “Mo Ibrahim” of Africa. I spent over 15 years working in England before returning to my home country in 2005 to launch Africa’s first mobile phone company. What is my name?
Answer: Mo Ibrahim
Riddle 29
I made history in 2016 when I was appointed State Minister in the Canadian Cabinet under Justin Trudeau, becoming the first member of a visible minority to sit at the country’s highest tables of power. What trailblazing Sudanese-Canadian political figure am I?
Answer: Ahmed Hussen
Riddle 30
I am a Sudanese-born actor best known for playing the Egyptian God Amunet on X-Files and Dr. Abby Lockhart on the hit TV drama ER in the 1990s and 2000s. What actress am I?
Answer: Parminder Nagra
Food & Drink
Riddle 31
We are a popular breakfast dish across Sudan made from millet, sorghum, corn or rice flour mixed with sour milk or yogurt and spices. Our name comes from the Arabic word for “fingers.” What type of porridge dish similar to ugali are we?
Answer: Asida
Riddle 32
I am a spicy peanut-based stew with meat or vegetables popular in Sudan as well as West and East Africa. My name comes from the Bantu word for “stretch.” What flavorful stew am I often served over asida for breakfast?
Answer: Mulah shakmak or mulukhiyah
Riddle 33
Popular during Ramadan celebrations, I am a sweet deep-fried dough ball soaked in sugary syrup. I am also prepared across North Africa and the Gulf regions. What are these tasty fritters called?
Answer: Awameya or luqaimat
Ethnic Groups
Riddle 34
We make up over 52% of Sudan’s population and populate the northern and central Nile region. We are descendants of indigenous Nilotic and various Arab groups. What broad ethnic group, literally meaning “mixed,” are we?
Answer: Sudanese Arabs
Riddle 35
I am the second largest ethnic group in Sudan after the Sudanese Arabs, comprising 39% of the population. We originate from central and southeast Africa and practice indigenous religions though some of us have adopted Islam or Christianity. Who are we?
Answer: Nuba peoples
Riddle 36
We were a powerful kingdom in present-day northern Sudan over 2000 years ago. We ruled for nearly 1000 years and successfully resisted attacks from Egypt’s New Kingdom for centuries until King Piye invaded and conquered us. Who were we?
Answer: Kingdom of Kush
Religion & Spirituality
Riddle 37
I am Sudan’s most widely practiced religion, estimated at being the faith of 97% of the population. What is this major world religion which originated in the Arabian peninsula?
Answer: Islam
Riddle 38
Many of us still practice traditional nature-based spirituality across Sudan, especially those among the hundreds of Nuba tribes. We believe that the sky god Kujur sends rain, which allows the earth goddess Masti to grow and reproduce for the cycle of life to continue. What broad term is used for these indigenous religious systems?
Answer: Animism
Riddle 39
Many people across Sudan, especially in the south, adhere to this religion introduced by European missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is now followed by over 5 million Sudanese, though it has also contributed to decades of civil conflict. What is this monotheistic world religion centered around Jesus Christ?
Answer: Christianity
Independence & Civil Wars
Riddle 40
Sudan gained independence from joint British-Egyptian rule in 1956, becoming the first sub-Saharan African country at the time to achieve self-rule. How many years of civil war followed until 1972 before the Addis Ababa agreement granted South Sudan regional autonomy?
Answer: 16 years
Riddle 41
This second protracted civil war erupted soon after dictator Nimeiry ended the Addis Ababa accord’s protections for South Sudan’s non-Muslim population. The resulting 21-year conflict led to millions displaced and starved. What year did this bloody second civil war start?
Answer: 1983
Riddle 42
The 2005 comprehensive peace agreement finally ended Sudan’s devastating 21-year second civil war, though conflict and hunger continue to plague Darfur and other regions today. This accord paved the way for South Sudan’s independence just six years later. What year was that peace agreement signed?
Answer: 2005
Conclusion
Sudan remains a diverse, complex, and fascinating country shaped by ancient civilizations, colonial struggles, decades of conflict, dynamic cultures, and determined people. These 42 riddles offer just a glimpse into the many mysteries and wonders found across Africa’s third largest nation. There are certainly many more tales left to uncover about this rich and storied land!
