Shendi

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Shendi
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imagesize = 240px
image_caption = Pyramids near Shendi


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pushpin_label_position =bottom
pushpin_map_caption =Location in Sudan
subdivision_type = Country
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subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = River Nile State
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population_total =55,516
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latd=16|latm=41|lats= |latNS=N
longd=33 |longm=26 |longs= |longEW=E
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Shendi or Shandi (Arabic: شندي) is a town in northern Sudan, situated on the east bank of the Nile 150 km northeast of Khartoum. Shandi is also about 45 km southwest of the ancient city of Meroe. Located in the River Nile wilayah, Shandi is the center of the Ja'aliin tribe and an important historic trading center. Its principal suburb on the west bank is Al-Matamma. A major traditional trade route across the Bayuda desert connects Al-Matamma to Marawi and Napata, 250 km to the northwest. The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica provides the following historical details:

"The origin of the name of the town came from the Daju tribe which inhabited it after being forced to migrate south & south-westward after the fall of Meroé in A.D. 350 which had been invaded by the army of Ezana, king of Axum (Ethiopia). The word 'sugaŋdé' or 'chendé' means in the Daju language: 'a sheep' (See Browne, W. G. 1806); this indicates that they were herders who moved south & south-westward to Kordofan and Darfur looking for abundant pasture. The Ababda tribe of Bedouins settled there in the early 19th century. Johann Ludwig Burckhardt passed through on his way to the Red Sea in 1812, and Charles Rothschild discovered the plague vector flea "Xenopsylla cheopis" there in 1901."

Demographics

Economy

Very basic services and infrastructure mean that Shendi exists mainly as a center for trade in agricultural goods from nearby farms. Regular power cuts mean that expansion of the economy into industry remains impossible at the present time. Tourism related activity from the nearby Meriotic ruins is minimal due to a lack of facilities within the town. There is poor or non-existent sanitation and a lack of running water in most homes and businesses.

Communications

Roads have begun to be laid cross the city however these remain largely unsafe, as is the road to Khartoum. The railway station in the city is no longer used for passenger travel, although freight trains continue to use the tracks. Shendi is home to an airport (ICAO code HSND).

Mobile telephone coverage exists within the city, neighboring towns of Misiktab and Al Mattamar, outlying villages and the ancient Meriotic pyramids to the north.

Institutions

Schools exist within the town and local villages

A UNESCO funded center exists within the town to promote education in foreign languages and Information Technology.

A University exists within the city and draws students from across Sudan to study there, though the student body is of entirely Muslim extraction.

References

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/SU/53/Shendi.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 376m]