Kassala

Kassala كسلا
Town
Kassala Location in Sudan
Coordinates: 15°27′N 36°24′E / 15.450°N 36.400°E / 15.450; 36.400
Country	Sudan
State	Kassala State
Population  (2002)
• Total	957,000[1]

Kassala (Arabic: كسلا) is the capital of the state of Kassala in eastern Sudan. In 2002 its population was recorded to be 957,000.^[1] Built on the banks of the Gash River, it is a market town and is famous for its fruit gardens. Many of its inhabitants are from the Hadendawa people.

The town was formerly a railroad hub, however, as of 2006 there was no operational railway station in Kassala and much of the track leading to and from the town has been salvaged or fallen into disrepair. Kassala's location along the main Khartoum-Port Sudan highway makes it an important trade center.