The name Khartoum translates to “elephant tusk” while Khartoum is nicknamed the “Triangular Capital”. The latter moniker refers to the shape formed where the nearby Blue and the White Nile Rivers combine into the single Nile River that flows northward into Egypt.
Sudan is notable for having the most pyramids of any country, albeit many are smaller than those found in Egypt. Some of Sudan’s ancient pyramids are located about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Khartoum.
Research website numbeo ranks Khartoum in the bottom 2% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Khartoum scored poorly on index factors such as purchasing power (dead last), property price to income ratio (highest 6%), pollution (worst 18%) and traffic commute time (slowest 22%). On the positive side, Khartoum placed in the top 41% for lowest cost of living.
Khartoum is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the site where 76-year-old Mahmoud Mohamed Taha became the oldest person executed during the 20th century. Taha was put to death at Khartoum’s Kober Prison just 13 days after his arrest charged with subversion.
From an international trade perspective, Sudan exported an estimated US$2.7 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include crude oil (31.8% of Sudan’s global total), miscellaneous oil seeds and oleaginous fruits (24.3%), live sheep and goats (16.4%), uncombed cotton (4.8%), groundnuts (4.4%), natural gums and resins (3.9%), live bovine animals (1.7%), oilcake and other solid residues (1.5%), gold (1.2%) and grain sorghum (also 1.2%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Khartoum, Sudan: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Khartoum, Sudan.
- Nagmeldin Ali Abubakr, Olympic runner (born Feb. 22, 1986)
- Atem Kuol, filmmaker & director (born Mar. 1, 1989)
- Nikki Perkins, YouTube star (born Apr. 2, 1990)
- Mhasin Fadlalla, Olympic swimmer (born Feb. 20, 1994 )
- Kuach Kamon, soccer player/footballer (born Sep. 10, 1992 )
- Ataui Deng, model (born Nov. 3, 1991)
- Daniel Michael Siyoum, film producer (born Jan. 10, 1982)
- Filmon Aggujaro, film producer (born May 29, 1979)
- Majak Daw, professional Australian-rules footballer (born Mar. 11, 1991 )
- Ahmed Shaweesh, film director (born Nov. 2, 1988)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Khartoum resident: Khartoumese
Population: 1,967,647 (Khartoum) at July 22, 2020
Density: 5,247 people per square mile (2,026 per square kilometer)
Population: 43,913,965 (Sudan) at July 22, 2020
Density: 64 people per square mile (25 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Sudan: 19.7 years old
Financial
GDP: US$176 billion 2019 (Sudan)
GDP per person: $4,072
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Khartoum were unavailable.
Official currency used in Khartoum: Sudanese pound
Geography
Capital landmarks: Presidential Palace, Al Kabir Mosque and University of Khartoum
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Sudan.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, Oldest person executed (20th century).
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Khartoum State Police.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Khartoum.
Wikipedia, Khartoum (state).
Wikipedia, Sudan.
WorldOMeter, Sudan Population.
Sudan won its independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom on January 1, 1956. Residents of Sudan celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each January 1.
Khartoum city has an area of 375 square miles (971 square kilometers), home to almost two million people.
At the country level, Sudan’s land area covers 681,489 square miles (1,765,048 square kilometers). The nation’s population count was 43.9 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
Population density is more concentrated within Sudan’s capital city, averaging 5,247 people per square mile (2,026 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Sudan’s national land boundaries, the density metric dilutes to an average 64 people per square mile (25 per square kilometer).
