Sudan has a native Coptic minority, although many Copts in Sudan are descended from more recent Coptic immigrants from Egypt.[1] Copts in Sudan live mostly in northern cities, including Al Obeid, Atbara, Dongola, Khartoum, Omdurman, Port Sudan, and Wad Medani.[1] They number up to 500,000, or slightly over 1% of the Sudanese population.[1] Due to their advanced education, their role in the life of the country has been more significant than their numbers suggest.[1] They have occasionally faced forced conversion to Islam, resulting in their emigration and decrease in number.[1]