South Sudan

Location

• East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia
• landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile; its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Juba	450,000	Capital
Winejok	300,000
Yei	260,720
Malakal	160,765
Wau	127,384
Kuacjok	78,000
Pajok	49,000
Gogrial	44,600
Yambio	40,382
Aweil	38,745

Size

• 248,775 square miles
• 644,329 square kilometers
• more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

History

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, is the world’s newest country. Home to a diverse array of mainly Nilotic ethnolinguistic groups that settled in the territory in the 15th through 19th centuries, South Sudanese society is heavily dependent on seasonal migration and seasonal fluctuations in precipitation. Modern-day South Sudan was conquered first by Egypt and later ruled jointly by Egyptian-British colonial administrators in the late 19th century. Christian missionaries helped spread the English language and Christianity in the area, leading to significant cultural differences with the northern part of Sudan, where Arabic and Islam are dominant. When Sudan gained its independence in 1956, the southern region received assurances that it would participate fully in the political system. However, the Arab government in Khartoum reneged on its promises, prompting two periods of civil war (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in which as many as 2.5 million people died -- mostly civilians -- due largely to starvation and drought. The second Sudanese civil war was one of the deadliest since WWII and left southern Sudanese society devastated. Peace talks resulted in a US-backed Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which granted the South six years of autonomy followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum, held in 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession.Since independence, South Sudan has struggled to form a viable governing system and has been plagued by widespread corruption, political conflict, and communal violence. In 2013, conflict erupted between forces loyal to President Salva KIIR, a Dinka, and forces loyal to Vice President Riek MACHAR, a Nuer. The conflict quickly spread through the country along ethnic lines, killing tens of thousands and creating a humanitarian crisis with millions of South Sudanese displaced. KIIR and MACHAR signed a peace agreement in 2015 that created a Transitional Government of National Unity the next year. However, renewed fighting broke out in Juba between KIIR and MACHAR’s forces, plunging the country back into conflict and drawing in additional armed opposition groups. A "revitalized" peace agreement was signed in 2018, mostly ending the fighting and laying the groundwork for a unified national army, a transitional government, and elections. The transitional government was formed in 2020, when MACHAR returned to Juba as first vice president. Since 2020, implementation of the peace agreement has been stalled amid wrangling over power-sharing, which has contributed to an uptick in communal violence and the country’s worst food crisis since independence, with 7 of 11 million South Sudanese citizens in need of humanitarian assistance. The transitional period was extended an additional two years in 2022, pushing elections to late 2024.

Climate

hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north

Terrain

plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country

Languages

English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shillukmajor-language sample(s): The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

Religions

Christian 60.5%, folk religion 32.9%, Muslim 6.2%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 2005 (pre-independence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011)amendment process: proposed by the National Legislature or by the president of the republic; passage requires submission of the proposal to the Legislature at least one month prior to consideration, approval by at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature, and assent of the president
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)head of government: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)cabinet: National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Transitional National Legislative Assemblyelection/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)most recent election date: 11-15 April 2010election results: 2010: Salva KIIR Mayardit elected leader of then-Southern Sudan; percent of vote - Salva KIIR Mayardit (SPLM) 93%, Lam AKOL (SPLM-DC) 7%expected date of next election: scheduled for 2015 but has been postponed multiple times, currently to be held in December 2026note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of a chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 5 additional justices); the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for 9, rather than 5 additional justicesjudge selection and term of office: the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for the establishment of a Judicial Service Council to recommend prospective justices to the president, and for the justices' tenures to be set by the National Legislaturesubordinate courts: national level - Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level - High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunalsnote: in mid-2022, the Government of South Sudan inaugurated an ad-hoc judiciary committee, a 12-member body led by two eminent jurists, that is charged with reviewing relevant laws, advising on judicial reform, and restructuring the judiciary
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Législature nationale (National Legislature)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• low-income, oil-based Sahelian economy; extreme poverty and food insecurity; COVID-19 and ongoing violence threaten socioeconomic potential; environmentally fragile; ongoing land and property rights issues; natural resource rich but lacks infrastructure
• Budget: revenues: $2.513 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $1.984 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver
• Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
• Agricultural Products: milk, cassava, sorghum, goat milk, vegetables, fruits, groundnuts, sesame seeds, beef, maize (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 44.7% (2022 est.)arable land: 3.8% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.1% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 40.8% (2022 est.)forest: 11.3% (2022 est.)other: 44% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: garments, cement, other foods, iron bars, cereal flours (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Uganda 33%, UAE 26%, Kenya 14%, China 10%, USA 3% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, forage crops, gold, scrap iron (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 51%, Singapore 29%, UAE 10%, Germany 4%, Uganda 3% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports