Introduction
Khartoum is the capital of Sudan, a country in a hot, dry part of northwestern Africa. The city lies between the Blue Nile and the White Nile, at the place where the two rivers meet to form the main stream of the Nile. Khartoum is Sudan's largest city except for nearby Omdurman. Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North are linked by bridges and are called the Three Towns.
Places of interest
The city's downtown region was laid out by the British and has broad, tree-lined avenues. Its main buildings include the government palace, parliament, and the National Museum. Khartoum also has a botanical garden. There are several universities in the city, including the University of Khartoum, which was started as Gordon Memorial College in 1902.
Khartoum has several Islamic mosques. The city also has Roman Catholic, Anglican, Coptic, and Greek Orthodox churches.
Economy
The economy of Khartoum depends to a large degree on government jobs. Factories in Khartoum make cloth from the fine cotton that is grown in the region. Plants also process gum arabic, which comes from the acacia tree and is used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
Khartoum is a major trade center. Rail lines, a highway, and an oil pipeline link the city to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Other railways connect the city with Egypt and with towns in the west. There is river traffic on the Blue and White Nile rivers, and there is an international airport.
History
African people have lived in the Khartoum area for at least 20,000 years. In the 6th century AD, a Christian kingdom had its capital nearby. Muslims took control later.
The modern history of the city starts in 1821, when an Egyptian army occupying the region pitched its camp on the site. Khartoum grew into a fortified army town and capital. It also became a center of the slave trade. In 1877 an Egyptian ruler appointed Charles George Gordon, a British opponent of the slave trade, as governor-general. Local Muslim forces destroyed Khartoum in 1885 and killed Gordon.
In 1898, British and Egyptian troops took back the city after winning the bloody battle of Omdurman. The new governor-general, Lord Kitchener, laid out new streets and began the task of rebuilding and modernizing the city. Britain and Egypt together ruled all of Sudan, with Khartoum as its capital, until 1956. In that year the city became the capital of the newly independent nation of Sudan.
Sudan is a diverse nation. Its ethnic and religious groups have at various times opposed each other in civil war. Over the years, many people fleeing from regions of violence have moved to makeshift camps on the outskirts of Khartoum. Other people have moved to the capital because dry weather prevented them from making a living as farmers. At the end of the 20th century, most of Khartoum's people were living in poverty. Major problems for the city included the lack of sewage systems, clean water supplies, and electricity. Population (1993 census), 924,505.
