The Red Sea coast, pleasing with eternal summer and an unusually rich underwater world, is a very good place for the city. And this is exactly the location of Port Sudan. Let's take a closer look at this wonderful city, and also find out what attracts travelers here.
Briefly about the city
Port Sudan (Arabic: ุจูุฑุชุณูุฏุงู) is a settlement in the northeast of the state of Sudan. It has access to the Red Sea, while being the only seaport in the country. By size among the settlements of Sudan, it takes second place after the agglomeration of Khartoum - the capital of the state.
Port Sudan was founded relatively recently - in 1909. Built as a more modern alternative to Suakin, an ancient port city that stretches south along the coast. Its harbor was overgrown with corals, which made it unusable.
The height of Port Sudan above the sea is 62 meters. The exact coordinates on the map are 19 ยฐ 36โฒ57 โณ north latitude, 37 ยฐ 12โฒ59 โณ east longitude. For 2010, almost 580 thousand people lived in the city. For comparison: in 1973, 132.6 thousand inhabitants were registered here.
Time zone - +3 from Greenwich. The currency is the Sudanese pound. There are two official languages โโ- Arabic and English.
Besides the fact that the city โโof Port Sudan is a port city , an international level airport is also located within it. The main part of the country's exports - gum arabic (transparent hard resin), leather, wool, livestock, cotton - passes through the transport hubs of this settlement.
Climatic features
Port Sudan in the Red Sea has a tropical dry climate. The hottest month here is August. The average temperature is 34.5 degrees above zero, the maximum is 40.2 degrees. February will be the coldest. Air temperature on average drops to 23 degrees this month. The absolute minimum is 19 degrees above zero.
Average seasonal temperatures here are as follows:
- Winter is 20-30 degrees.
- Spring - 24-38 degrees.
- Summer is 29-41 degrees.
- Autumn - 23-33 degrees.
As for precipitation, in this band they are considered a rather rare occurrence. November will be the rainiest. This month, half the annual rainfall (about 75 mm) is 35 mm. February, March, June, September are considered the driest (sometimes there is no rainfall at all this month).
Why do tourists like him?
The first reason travelers travel to Port Sudan in Sudan is for pristine coral shelf reefs off the coast. This makes the city of Mecca for diving enthusiasts, one of the best vacation spots in the world for them. It attracts tourists and sunny beaches, fresh delicious seafood, hibiscus tea.
If you find yourself in Port Sudan, then do not forget to do the following:
- Visit Wingate Reef, almost untouched by human civilization. Here you can swim in plenty with companies with manta rays, turtles and even sharks.
- On the promenade of the city you will find many cozy tea houses where you will be treated to a delicious hibiscus.
- Many tourists find an interesting underwater excursion to the remains of the Italian ship Umbria, which sank during the Second World War off the coast of Port Sudan.
- Do not ignore the local fish and seafood. Fresh, they can be bought at the local market. And also enjoy seafood in a variety of restaurants.
- We recommend that you visit the ancient city of Suakin - it is only half an hour away by bus from Port Sudan. No one is indifferent when they see the Old City - the ruins of coral mosques and historical buildings.
Local flavor
Travelers who have been here, note that Port Sudan is not amazing luxury, clean streets. The usual port city of a poor state. The market is not particularly attractive to tourists - many find it noisy, dirty and poor. For travelers, the local population is mostly indifferent.
The streets of the city are not conducive to walks - broken roads, the poor, dirt, idlers loitering around. As for tourist trips, they are not very attractive - photography is prohibited in many places, and somewhere travelers are not even allowed to lift the curtains on the windows of the bus.
History of the city
Modern Port Sudan is located 600 km northeast of the capital of Khartoum in the province of Kassala. It was founded at the beginning of the last century by the British as a railway station connecting the Nile and the Red Sea. From developed agricultural regions of the country, cotton, sorghum, sesame, and so on came here.
In the course of historical development, the city began to stand out as the economic, commercial and industrial center of Sudan. Sea salt is being extracted here, a cotton factory, an oil refinery are operating, shipyards are functioning, and livestock breeding is developed.
Port Sudan today is considered the most European city in the country, a two-story building gives it a special atmosphere. The surroundings attract both divers and lovers of "lazy" relaxation with their snow-white beaches. The resort of Arusa stands out especially in this regard. Port Sudan is also a starting point on the way to Medina and Mecca, so you can often see pilgrims here.
The Red Sea near the city we told you about is a paradise for divers because of its virtually untouched reefs. White beaches and delicious seafood also attract travelers. As for Port Sudan itself, most wanderers find it unattractive.