Khartoum
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Map of Sudan with Khartoum |
Khartoum (
الخرطوم al-Ḫarṭūm "
Elephant Trunk") is the
capital of
Sudan and of
Khartoum State. It is located at the point where the
White Nile, flowing north from
Uganda, meets the
Blue Nile, flowing west from
Ethiopia. The merger of the two niles is known as "the
Mogran". The merged
Nile flows north towards
Egypt and the
Mediterranean Sea.
The city proper has a population of well over a million inhabitants, making it the second largest city in the country, but forms with its neighbours, linked by bridges,
Khartoum North (
al-Khartūm Bahrī) and
Omdurman (
Umm Durmān) a metropolis with a population totaling over four million.
Early history
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The British Embassy in Khartoum in 1926. |
Khartoum was founded in
1821 by Muhammad Ali, the ruler of
Egypt, as an outpost for the Egyptian army, but grew as a regional center of trade, including the
slave trade. Troops loyal to the
Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad laid siege to Khartoum starting on
March 13,
1884 against the defenders led by
British General
Charles George Gordon, resulting in the massacre of the Anglo-Egyptian garrison.
The heavily damaged city fell to the Mahdists on
January 26,
1885. Omdurman was the scene of the bloody
battle (
September 2,
1898) in which British forces under
Sirdar Horatio Kitchener defeated the Mahdist forces defending the city.
In
1899 Khartoum became capital of
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and, with the independence of Sudan in
1956, the capital of the new country.
Recent history
In 1973, the city was the site of a
hostage crisis in which members of
Black September held ten hostages at the
Saudi embassy, five of whom were diplomats. The US ambassador, the US deputy ambassador, and the Belgian Chargé d'affaires were murdered. The remaining hostages were released (see
Khartoum diplomatic assassinations).
The first oil pipeline between Khartoum and
Port Sudan was completed in 1977.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Khartoum was the destination for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflicts in neighboring nations such as
Chad,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
Uganda. The refugees settled in large slums at the outskirts of the city. From the mid-1980s onward, large numbers of
internally displaced from the violence of the
Second Sudanese Civil War and
Darfur conflict have settled around Khartoum.
Following the
1998 U.S. embassy bombings, the
United States accused
Osama bin Laden's
al-Qaeda group of responsibility and launched
cruise missile attacks (
August 20) on the
al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum. The factory was later proved to have no ties to bin Laden and had devastating effects on the Sudanese economy.
After the signing of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLA), the Government of Sudan has begun a massive development project. The biggest project taking place right now in Khartoum is "Al-Mogran" Development Project, led by Al-Sunut Development Company. This integrated development is a joint venture developed by the DAL Group Company Ltd, Khartoum State and the National Social Insurance Fund. The project is divided into two main phases:
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Khartoum International Airport Departure Terminal. |
Phase I : Almogran Central Business DistrictA brand new 160-acre Central Business District (CBD). This state-of-the-art, prime commercial real estate will act as a hub for Eastern Africa's modern business market. Almogran is located on the junction between The White and the Blue Nile. The CBD has been carefully master planned to create a dynamic and livable business environment, with pedestrian-friendly tree-lined streets, a river walk, and a mix of business, commercial, and residential properties. All of this comes together at the only place in the world where it is possible to have a spectacular view of the three Niles.
Phase II : Almogran Residential EstateTo the south of Almogran CBD, along the banks of the White Nile, lies a 1500-acre residential development featuring a variety of carefully planned neighborhoods of luxurious villas, townhouses, and apartments, complete with supporting neighborhood shops, schools, and recreational and leisure facilities. The development includes an 18-hole signature golf course and resort, public parks and gardens, with preservation of the Sunuut Forest Reserve.
Among the city's industries are printing, glass manufacturing, food processing and textiles. However, the economy is still progressing, since still,oil products are now produced in the far north of khartoum state providing fuel and jobs for the city.One of Sudan's largest refineries is located in northern khartoum.
Khartoum is the main location for most of Sudan's top universities, including but not limited to:
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University of Khartoum. Originally founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902, it was later renamed to share the name of the city in the 1930s.
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The Academy of Medical Sciences and Technology.Better known as AMST,it was founded in 1996 by Prof. Mamoun Humaida in the heart of Khartoum City the capital of Sudan.Its considered to be one of the best eduacational establishments in the country and viewed by most to be the pioneer Private University in Sudan
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University of Sudan for Science and Technology*
Computer Man College*
Juba University. It was relocated from
Juba during the
civil war. Currently plans exist to relocate the university back to its original location.
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Bayan Science and Technology UniversityAir
Khartoum is home to the largest airport in Sudan,
Khartoum International Airport. It is the main hub for
Sudan Airways, Sudan's main carrier. It was built in the southern edge of the city, but the rapid growth of the city and through the major urbanization, it has become the heart of the city.A new international airport is currently being built in the city of
Omdurman. It will replace the current airport in Khartoum as Sudan's main airport followed by
Juba Airport and
Port Sudan Airport.
* -
Istanbul, Turkey
* -
Wuhan, China
* -
Cairo, Egypt
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Earth from Space - Khartoum
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Satellite picture by Google Maps*For additional Sudan data, see [
1]
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Al-Sunut Development Project - Al-Sunut Development Company LTD
