South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. As of 2022, this makes South Sudan the youngest country to receive widespread global recognition as a sovereign state. Below are key facts about South Sudan:
Capital and largest city: Juba. Coordinates: 04°51′N 31°36′E
Official languages: English
Recognised national languages
Dinka
Nuer
Murle
Luo (Anyuak, Acholi, Shilluk, Pari, Jur-Luo, others)
Ma'di
Otuho
Zande
and around 60 other languages
Dinka
Juba Arabic
Nuer
Bari
Zande
Jur (Luo)
Murle
Shilluk
Kanuri
Various others
60.5% Christianity
32.9% Traditional faiths
6.2% Islam
0.4% Others / None
Demonym(s): South Sudanese
Government: Federal provisional unity government
• President: Salva Kiir Mayardit
• Vice President: Riek Machar
• Speaker: Jemma Nunu Kumba
• Chief Justice: Chan Reec Madut
Legislature: Transitional National Legislature
• Upper house: Council of States
• Lower house: Transitional National Legislative Assembly
• Autonomy: 9 July 2005
• Declared and recognized: 15 July 2011
• Total area: 644,329 km2 (248,777 sq mi) (41st)
• Population (2019 estimate): 12,778,250 (75th)
• 2008 census: 8,260,490 (disputed)
• Density: 13.33/km2 (34.5/sq mi) (214th)
• GDP (PPP), 2018 estimate: $18.435 billion
• Per capita: $825 (221st) GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate
• Total: $3.194 billion
• Per capita: $246 (215th)
• Gini (2016): Positive decrease 44.1 medium
• HDI (2019): Increase 0.433
• Currency: South Sudanese pound (SSP)
Time zone: UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
Date format: dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side: right
Calling code: +211
ISO 3166 code: SS
Internet TLD: .ss
South Sudan was originally part of the greater country of Sudan. The Sudanese people have been around since 2500BC, with many tribes vying for power. South Sudan is home to the Nilotic people, some of whom are culturally different from the rest of the Sudanese population. Throughout the years, South Sudan has attempted to win its independence through various wars, most notably the resolution of 1955 to 1972. Due to civil unrest, lack of clean conditions, constant war, and serious neglect of the infrastructure, millions of people have died in the continuing conflict.
South Sudan held an organized referendum in 2011 to gain independence from the rest of the Sudanese government. To no one's surprise, the vast majority of the population voted for it (98.83%), making it one of the most proximal consensus votes for a country to peacefully gain independence. Other names were considered at the time, but it was decided to stick with South Sudan. Of course, many of the groups that were in power rejected this and after independence, South Sudan was at war with numerous other stakeholders in the proximity. South Sudan has only recently achieved some level of peace, as the South Sudanese Civil War lasted from 2013 to 2020, where rivalry among the Dinka factions led to a struggle for regime power.
After about 400,000 people were killed, further millions of casualties, and millions of refugees, the two rivalries were met with a peace deal to form a national unity government on Feb 22, 2020.
The country of South Sudan is 12 years old, founded in the year 2011.