Kassala

State in northeast Sudan; area 341,000 sq km/13,1660 sq mi. In the centre of the region are clay plains, to the east is an arid coastal plain, and to the north is the Nubian Desert. The climate is hot and dust storms are frequent; precipitation decreases from about 1,000 mm/39 in the south to 100 mm/4 in at Port Sudan. The chief crops grown under irrigation are long-staple cotton and grain. The population is mainly nomadic. The capital is Kassala.