Atbara (sometimes Atbarah) (Arabic: عطبرة ʿAṭbarah) is a city located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan.

[3] In the Battle of Atbara, fought on 8 April 1898 near Nakheila, on the north bank of the river, Lord Kitchener's Anglo-Egyptian army defeated the Mahdist forces, commanded by Amir Mahmud Ahmad.

Kitchener's strengthened position led to a decisive victory at the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898,[4] giving the British control over the Sudan.

Perhaps because of the influence of the railway unions, Atbara is also considered by many to be the home of Sudanese communism.

Jaafar Nimeiri, Sudan's president from 1969 to 1985, alternated between communism, capitalism, and Islamic fundamentalism – depending on who he was trying to get on his side and extract money from – and the communist phase had its stronghold around Atbara.

The annual mean temperature reaches over 30 °C (86 °F) and the average highs exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during 7 months of the year.

The trans-African automobile route — the Cairo-Cape Town Highway passes through Atbara.