Mining by country

Mining in Sudan

Mining in Sudan: the public figures we hold so far. The World Bank puts mineral rents at 6.6% of GDP (2021) and ores and metals at 0.7% of merchandise exports (2018). No world production share, mine or listed company project is recorded here yet.

Mineral rents6.6%of GDP, 2021. Higher than 91% of countries.
Ores and metals0.7%of merchandise exports, 2018.
Governance, World Bank WGI 2025
  • Rule of law-1.86above 2% of countries
  • Political stability-2.07above 3% of countries
  • Regulatory quality-1.74above 3% of countries
  • Control of corruption-1.57above 2% of countries
Estimates from −2.5 to +2.5; the bar sits at the country's score.

Mining in Sudan at a glance

Mining in GDP1.4%2019. Share of GDP for the mining and quarrying subsector in 2019 (1.5% in 2018).Source: USGS
First recorded mining
c. 514-210 BCE (iron slag at Meroe). ICOMOS reports extensive heaps of iron slag immediately east of the town of Meroe, carbon-dated to about 514 BCE to 210 BCE. Source: ICOMOS
Mining law
Mineral Wealth Development and Mining Act of 2015. The Act gives the national government ownership of all minerals and defines traditional mining as work without heavy machinery to a depth… Source: USGS
UNESCO mining heritage
Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe (iron slag heaps). ICOMOS states the evidence for ironworking is of considerable importance for the role of Meroe in the spread of metalworking in sub-Saharan Africa, and notes the… Source: ICOMOS
Key mining regions
Hassai (gold); Ingessana Hills (chromite); Hofrat en Nahas (copper) Source: USGS
Main mines
Ingessana Hills (chromium, asbestos), Kreiter (chromium, asbestos), Hofrat En Nahas (copper), Aberketieb (Abirkateib) (gold, copper), Gebeit (Gabeit, Gabait) (gold, copper), Hassai (Ariab) Source: USGS
Signature minerals
gold Source: USGS

Mining employment from the ILO usually counts all of mining and quarrying, often with oil and gas; national shares of GDP and exports are as each source defines them.

History of mining in Sudan

What the ground holds. chromium, copper, gold, mica, silver, tungsten and zinc. Source: USGS

How prospectors changed the worldThe full mining timeline

Mining elsewhere in Africa

South AfricaDR CongoMozambiqueGhanaMadagascarRwandaNigeriaGuineaMoroccoTanzania

World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: The Big Hole by Rudolph Botha, CC BY-SA 3.0.