Chapter One Spatial Relations Sudan encompasses an area exceeding 2 million square kilometers, which is more than 27% of the area of the Arab homeland in Africa and Asia, or about two and a half times the area of the United Arab Republic. This land includes the northeastern corner of the African continent, extending between latitudes 4.22° and 30° North, and between longitudes 22° and 30° East, and 30° and 38° East. However, this vast area has a coastline of no more than 800 kilometers. This is the length of the front on which Sudan faces the Red Sea coast in its northeast. Here we find that the nature of the coast is not conducive to the establishment of natural harbors. The Red Sea, due to its rift valley formation and its many coral reefs, prevents this.

Sudan shares its northern border with the United Arab Republic. The border line between them is considered to be the twenty-second parallel, according to the January 1899 agreement concerning the administration of Sudan. Article One of this agreement stipulates that "the term Sudan" in this convention shall refer to all territories located south of the twenty-second parallel of latitude. These are: First: Territories that the Egyptian border has never granted since 1882. Second: Territories that were under the administration of the Egyptian government before the last Sudanese revolution (the Mahdist War) and were lost, and are now reopened by His Majesty's Egyptian government in union.