Sudd (sŏd) [key], swampy region, c.200 mi (320 km) long, and
c.150 mi (240 km) wide, central South Sudan, E central Africa.
It is fed by the Bahr el Jebel, the Bahr el Ghazal, and the Bahr
el Arab, headwaters of the Nile. Thick aquatic vegetation (sudd)
disperses the river water into numerous channels. About half the
water is lost through evaporation and absorption before leaving
the Sudd. The vegetation hinders navigation and long barred
attempts to trace the Nile to its source. An Egyptian expedition
first succeeded in crossing the Sudd in 1840. It took much
effort to clear (1899–1903) a channel for regular navigation,
and constant maintenance is necessary to keep it open.
Construction on a canal to circumvent the Sudd and drain
swampland for agriculture began in 1978 but was suspended in
1983. More on Sudd from Infoplease: See more Encyclopedia
articles on: African Physical Geography