Capital and trading centre of Sudan, at the
junction of the Blue and White Nile;
population (1983) 476,000, and of Khartoum
North, across the Blue Nile, 341,000.
Omdurman is also a suburb of Khartoum, giving
the urban area a population of over 1.3
million. It was founded 1830 by Mehemet Ali.
General Gordon was killed at Khartoum by the
Mahdist rebels 1885. A new city was built
after the site was recaptured by British
troops under Kitchener 1898.