Khartoum

Capital of SudanKhartoum stands where the White Nile and the Blue Nile meet, a place called al-Mogran, 'the Confluence'. Bridges link it to Omdurman in the west and to Khartoum North.

Why it's the capital

Isma'il Kamil Pasha founded Khartoum in 1821 as an outpost of the Egyptian army, and in 1823 the colonial government moved here from Wad Madani. From 1898 it was the capital of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, and in 1956 it became the capital of independent Sudan.

Fun facts

One explanation of the name is that it comes from the Arabic word for 'trunk', describing the narrow strip of land between the Blue and White Niles.
When Herbert Kitchener rebuilt Khartoum after 1898, its streets were laid out in the shape of the Union Jack, the British flag.
Khartoum is one of the hottest major cities on Earth, with an average yearly temperature of around 30 °C.

Finding it on the globe

Follow the Nile south from Egypt into Sudan. Where the river splits into two branches, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, you have found Khartoum.

Easy to mix up

Khartoum is the capital of Sudan. South Sudan, a separate country since 2011, has its own capital, Juba, far up the White Nile.

Sources: Wikipedia: Khartoum, Wikipedia: White Nile