Vision
Unitas ex Historia. TheSudanAtlas.org was created in response to the racism, tribalism, and fragmentation that too often shape our identity. Whether it is the casual tribalism/racism at dinner tables, weddings, or day-to-day conversations, it’s our duty as Sudanese people to strongly challenge and condemn these beliefs. TheSudanAtlas.org does not seek to erase many of Sudan’s identities, but it exists to educate us about our interconnected history, despite our intense cultural differences, by showing how our peoples, kingdoms, cultures, religions, and communities met and influenced one another over time. To unite our Sudan is to strengthen our understanding of one another, accept our differences, and act as one.
Why the Atlas ends around 2019
This is a deliberate editorial choice. The Atlas gives less emphasis to contemporary Sudanese history because many recent events remain ongoing and subject to continuing political and historical interpretation. Its main purpose is to offer a broad perspective across Sudan’s much longer history; giving disproportionate space to the most recent political period could shift it away from that purpose. The period around 2019 therefore serves as an editorial endpoint for detailed contemporary political coverage, without suggesting that contemporary history is unimportant or should be forgotten.
How to read the map
The timeline filters entries to a chosen period and highlights the political and cultural context of that time.
Historical figures, cities, battles, and other event types have dedicated icons and colors. You can find the full list of event types, alongside geographical features and kingdom types, in the Layers button. You can also move some of these events around to make the map feel like your own workspace.
Kingdoms are drawn as polygons based on available historical evidence, including flags or material culture where appropriate. Their boundaries are often approximate and should not be understood as exact borders for the period shown.
Map data
TheSudanAtlas.org uses third-party mapping data from Esri and its credited imagery partners for geographic reference. Any boundaries, labels, and other information displayed by the map provider do NOT necessarily represent the political views or positions of TheSudanAtlas.org. Historical kingdoms and community boundaries are interpretive and should not be read as modern political borders.
Contact
For questions, feedback, corrections, or suggestions, reach us through our Instagram page.
Instagram — @thesudanatlas