Darfur
Darfur
دار فور | |
|---|---|
Location of Darfur in Sudan | |
| Country | Sudan |
| Capital | El Fasher |
| Largest city | Nyala |
| Government | |
| • Under control by | |
| Area | |
• Total | 493,180 km2 (190,420 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2018) | 11,772,520 |
| Demonym(s) | Darfurian Darfuri |
| Time zone | UTC+2:00 (CAT) |
| Languages | Sudanese Arabic, Fur, Zaghawa, Masalit |
Darfur (/dɑːrˈfʊər/ dar-FOOR; Arabic: دار فور, romanized: Dār Fūr, lit. 'Realm of the Fur') is a region of western Sudan. Dār is an Arabic word meaning "home [of]" – the region was named Dardaju (Arabic: دار داجو, romanized: Dār Dājū) while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë c. 350 AD, and it was renamed Dartunjur (Arabic: دار تنجر, romanized: Dār Tunjur) when the Tunjur ruled the area. Darfur was an independent sultanate for hundreds of years until 1874, when it fell to the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr. The region was later invaded and incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916.
Because of the War in Darfur between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population, the region has been in a state of humanitarian emergency and genocide since 2003. The factors include religious and ethnic rivalry, and the rivalry between farmers and herders.