Northern (Arabic: الشمالية‎ Aš Šamāliya) is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 348,765 km² and an estimated population of 833,743 (2006). Dongola is the capital of the state. The town of Wadi Halfa, a headquarters of the British in the late nineteenth century, is located in the north of the province. The other towns (localities) are Merowe, Karima, Al-Dabbah and Dongola. Northern Sudan was in ancient times Nubia.