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What is the capital of Sudan?

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The capital of Sudan is Khartoum

Khartoum stands at the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile, where they join to form the main Nile, and it forms a tri-city metropolis with Omdurman and Khartoum North (Bahri).

Khartoum is the capital and seat of government of Sudan, a role it has held since 1956. Sudan itself has an estimated population of 51,662,147 (2025).

Whether Khartoum counts as the largest city in Sudan depends on which definition of a city you use, as explained in the questions below and on our capital versus largest city reference.

Khartoum at a glance

Metropolitan area7,155,000 (2023 estimate, Greater Khartoum)
Country🇸🇩 Sudan
Founded1821
Capital since1956
Largest city in SudanKhartoum
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (CAT)
CurrencySudanese pound (SDG)

About Khartoum

Khartoum was founded in 1821 as an Egyptian army camp at the meeting of the two Niles.

Khartoum has been the capital of Sudan since 1956, Khartoum became the capital of independent Sudan in 1956, after a period of Anglo-Egyptian rule.

Greater Khartoum, which joins Khartoum with Omdurman and Bahri across the two Niles, is Sudan's largest urban area.

The city has been a focus of the civil war that broke out in Sudan in 2023.

City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Khartoum.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Sudan?
The capital of Sudan is Khartoum.
Is Khartoum the largest city in Sudan?
It depends on how you measure it. Khartoum is the capital and the centre of the country's largest metropolitan area, which spans roughly 5 million people. But that area is three joined cities, and by city-proper population the largest of the three is Omdurman, at roughly 2.9 million, across the Nile from Khartoum itself.
Where is Khartoum located?
Khartoum stands at the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile, where they join to form the main Nile, and it forms a tri-city metropolis with Omdurman and Khartoum North (Bahri).
When did Khartoum become the capital of Sudan?
Khartoum has been the capital of Sudan since 1956, Khartoum became the capital of independent Sudan in 1956, after a period of Anglo-Egyptian rule.
What time zone is Khartoum in?
Khartoum uses UTC+02:00 (CAT).
What currency is used in Khartoum?
Khartoum, like the rest of Sudan, uses the Sudanese pound (SDG, symbol PT).

Capitals of neighbouring countries

Capital of Central African RepublicCapital of ChadCapital of EgyptCapital of EritreaCapital of EthiopiaCapital of LibyaCapital of South Sudan

See the full profile of Sudan on its country page, or browse every capital city.

Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.