Darfur

Darfur (Arabic: دار فور‎ Dār Fūr, English: Realm of the Fur) is a region in western Sudan. It was firstly named Dardaju (Arabic: دار داجو‎) when the Daju, who migrated from Meroe c.350 AD, were ruling. Then renamed Dartunjur (Arabic: دار تنجر‎) when the Tunjur were ruling the country and who had been replaced by the Fur recent immigrants from Dar Fartit in the Central Africa. Darfur (Dar in the name means 'place of or land of' the Fur people) was a independent sultanate for several hundred years, incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into five federal states: Central Darfur, East Darfur, North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur. Because of the war in Darfur between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population, the region has been in a state of humanitarian emergency since 2003.

Geography

Darfur covers an area of 493,180 square kilometers (190,420 sq mi), approximately the size of Spain. It is largely an arid plateau with the Marrah Mountains (Jebel Marra), a range of volcanic peaks rising up to 3,042 meters (9,980 ft) of topographic prominence, in the center of the region. The region's main towns are Al Fashir and Nyala.