# Kosti, Sudan

Kosti (also Kusti, Arabic: كوستي) is one of the major cities in Sudan that lies south of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and stands on the western bank of the White Nile river opposite Rabak, the capital of the White Nile state and is connected to it by a bridge. The city is served by Kosti Railway Station and Rabak Airport. The population of Kosti as of 2012 was estimated at 345,068 people.

## History

Kosti was founded shortly after 1899 by the Greek merchant Konstantinos "Kostas" Mourikis, who arrived in Sudan along with his brother following the Anglo-Egyptian victory over the indigenous Mahdist state. He set up a store on the White Nile, where pilgrims from West Africa to Mecca and Southern trade routes crossed. The settlement soon grew to a town and was named after "Kostas", illustrating the important role played by the Greeks in Sudan, especially in the field of trade.

## Economy

The large Kenana sugar refinery is located in Rabak east of the city.
Kosti is home to the El Imam El Mahdi University, established in 1994 as a public university funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It is named in honor of Muhammad Ahmad, the leader of the Mahdia revolution in Sudan (1885-1898).

## Climate

Kosti, like most of Sudan, has a very dry climate. The climate stays hot throughout the year, even into November temperatures still break 100 degrees.
Climate data for Kosti (1991–2020, extremes 1961–2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42 (108) | 44 (111) | 45.8 (114.4) | 46.5 (115.7) | 46.8 (116.2) | 46 (115) | 43.5 (110.3) | 40 (104) | 42 (108) | 42.6 (108.7) | 42 (108) | 41.5 (106.7) | 46.8 (116.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.8 (91.0) | 35.3 (95.5) | 38.7 (101.7) | 41.6 (106.9) | 41.2 (106.2) | 39.0 (102.2) | 34.9 (94.8) | 33.2 (91.8) | 35.3 (95.5) | 38.0 (100.4) | 36.6 (97.9) | 33.7 (92.7) | 36.7 (98.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.9 (76.8) | 27.0 (80.6) | 30.1 (86.2) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 29.6 (85.3) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.6 (85.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 29.2 (84.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 29.6 (85.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.5 (72.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) | 8 (46) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14 (57) | 17.3 (63.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 16.2 (61.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 3.4 (38.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 13.1 (55.6) | 7.5 (45.5) | 3.4 (38.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.5 (0.02) | 18.3 (0.72) | 31.4 (1.24) | 118.6 (4.67) | 135.4 (5.33) | 56.6 (2.23) | 7.4 (0.29) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.0 (0.0) | 368.4 (14.50) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 10.1 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 29.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 37 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 35 | 47 | 63 | 72 | 65 | 51 | 37 | 39 | 44 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 297.6 | 271.6 | 285.2 | 279.0 | 260.4 | 231.0 | 195.3 | 195.3 | 225.0 | 275.9 | 294.0 | 310.0 | 3,120.3 |
| Source: NOAA ||||||||||||||

## Gallery

* Railway Station
* Kenana sugar
* Kosti aerial view in 1936