Khartoum, city, north central Sudan, capital of Sudan and of Khartoum Province, just south of the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers, in the east central part of the country. The economic focus of the nation's largest urban area, it has bridge connections across the Blue Nile to Khartoum North and across the White Nile to Omdurman.
A well-planned city of tree-lined streets, Khartoum is the nation's chief administrative and transportation center. Much of its trade is derived from river traffic on the Nile and from farms of the large Al Jazirah (Gezira) irrigated area to the south. Manufacturing industries include printing, food processing, and textile and glass manufacturing. The University of Khartoum (1956), Cairo University Khartoum Branch (1955), and a number of specialized technical schools are here, as are the Sudan National Museum and the Ethnographical Museum. Landmarks include the Republican Palace and the parliament buildings.
