Khartoum State (Arabic: ولاية الخرطوم, romanized: Wilāyat al-Kharṭūm) is one of the eighteen states of Sudan. Although it is the smallest state by area (22,142 km), it is the most populous state in Sudan—5,274,321 in the 2008 census, and officially estimated at 7,993,900 in 2018. It contains the Triangular capital consisting of the capital and largest city by population, Khartoum, as well as the cities of Khartoum North and Omdurman. Khartoum city is the capital of both Khartoum State and Sudan.
The three cities are located in the heart of Sudan at the confluence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile, where the two rivers unite to form the River Nile. The confluence of the two rivers creates a unique effect. As they join, each river retains its own color: the White Nile with its bright whiteness and the Blue Nile with its alluvial brown color. These colors are more visible in the flood season.