city, east-central Sudan. It lies on the north bank of the Blue Nile and on the east bank of the Nile proper, with bridge connections to its sister cities of Khartoum and Omdurman. The main industrial centre of the region and the country, the city contains dockyards, marine and rail workshops, and sawmills. Khartoum North trades in cotton, grains, fruit, and livestock; industries include tanning, brewing, brickmaking, textile weaving, and food processing. Arabic is spoken by most of the inhabitants. Pop. (1983) 341,146; (1993) 879,105.