Wad Madani

Wad Madani, city, southeast-central Sudan. Wad Madani lies on the west bank of the Blue Nile 85 miles (136 km) southeast of Khartoum, at an elevation of 1,348 feet (411 metres). It was a small Egyptian administrative post in the 19th century. It owes later growth to the irrigated lands of the Jazīrah (Gezira) irrigation scheme and is now the commercial centre of the Al-Jazīrah cotton-growing area. Peanuts (groundnuts) and wheat are also grown in the area. The University of Al-Jazīrah (founded 1975), the Agricultural Research Corporation, and Al-Jazīrah Research Corporation Library are located at Wad Madani. It has good railway and road connections with Khartoum, Kūstī, and Gedaref; ferry service on the Blue Nile; and a domestic airport. Most of the city’s inhabitants (mainly Arabic-speaking) are affiliated with northern and central Sudanese peoples. Pop. (2008) 289,482.