South Sudan

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance and trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
  - Constitutional history
  - Current framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Cultural milieu
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- Colonial administration
- Sudanese independence and civil war
- The 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement
- Resumption of civil war
- The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
- Moving toward southern independence
- Independent South Sudan
  - Continued problems with Sudan
  - Domestic problems

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Children selling cooked corn in Terekeka, South Sudan.

Savanna vegetation during the rainy season, South Sudan.

For Students

South Sudan summary

South Sudan

Also known as: southern Sudan

Written by Ahmad Alawad Sikainga, Jay L. Spaulding, Mohy el Din SabrSee All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 • Article History

flag of South Sudan

Audio File: National anthem of South Sudan

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Category: Geography & Travel

Also called:: Southern Sudan

Head Of State And Government:: President: Salva Kiir Mayardit

Capital:: Juba⁴

Population:: (2024 est.) 15,254,000

Form Of Government:: transitional government¹ with two legislative houses (National Legislative Assembly [332²]; Council of States [50³])

Official Language:: English⁵

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Recent News

Mar. 8, 2024, 8:14 AM ET (Yahoo)

Harvard Kennedy School fellow charged with trying to illegally export arms for coup in South Sudan

Mar. 6, 2024, 10:58 PM ET (Reuters)

US charges prominent South Sudan economist with gun running scheme

South Sudan, country located in northeastern Africa. Its rich biodiversity includes lush savannas, swamplands, and rainforests that are home to many species of wildlife. Prior to 2011, South Sudan was part of Sudan, its neighbour to the north. South Sudan’s population, predominantly African cultures who tend to adhere to Christian or animist beliefs, was long at odds with Sudan’s largely Muslim and Arab northern government. South Sudan’s capital is Juba. South Sudan was settled by many of its current ethnic groups during the 15th–19th centuries. After the Sudan region was invaded in 1820 by Muḥammad ʿAlī, viceroy of Egypt under ...(100 of 11562 words)

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