North Kurdufan is one of the 15 wilayat

States of Sudan

Below is a list of the 15 states of Sudan, organized by their original provinces during the period of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Arabic language versions are, as appropriate, in parentheses. States that were not provinces before 1994 are marked with . Transliterations from Arabic to English may vary;...

 or states of Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

. It has an area of 185,302 km² and an estimated population of 2,529,370 (2006). Al-Ubayyid

Al-Ubayyid

Al-Ubayyid , also spelled El Obeid, is the capital of the state of North Kurdufan in central Sudan. In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various roads and camel caravan routes, and the end of a pilgrim route from...

 is the capital of the state.

North Kurdufan is generally arid and desert.

History

For centuries, North Kurdufan was inhabited by nomads and pastoralists, including the Yazeed tribes. The area has had almost continuous drought since the mid 1960s. Deforestation led to the destruction of the natural vegetation. NGO's working in the villages of Sudan tried to rectify the damage. They set up women's centres. These centres allowed many women gain an income. Training was introduced and a solar energy system set up. NGOs recognise that a need exists for longer projects requiring the kind of support that only can come from governments and large agencies.

Cities and towns in North Kurdufan

• Al-Ubayyid
  Al-Ubayyid
  Al-Ubayyid , also spelled El Obeid, is the capital of the state of North Kurdufan in central Sudan. In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various roads and camel caravan routes, and the end of a pilgrim route from...
  
  
• El Gebir
  El Gebir
  El Gebir is a town in North Kurdufan State in central Sudan, 70 kilometres north-west of El Obeid....
  
  
• Er Rahad
  Er Rahad
  Er Rahad is a town in North Kurdufan Province in central Sudan, 30 kilometres south of El Obeid....
  
  
• Ruaba
• Taiyara
  Taiyara
  Taiyara is an isolated town in North Kurdufan State in central Sudan, 50 kilometres east of El Obeid....
  
  
• Umm Debbi
  Umm Debbi
  Umm Debbi is a town in North Kurdufan State in central Sudan, approximately 150 kilometres north of El Obeid....
  
  
• Umm Qantur
  Umm Qantur
  Umm Qantur is a town in North Kurdufan State in central Sudan, 150 kilometres north-east of El Obeid....
  
  
• Umm Saiyala
  Umm Saiyala
  Umm Saiyala is a town in North Kurdufan Province in central Sudan, 140 kilometres northeast of El Obeid....