South Sudan

Achieving independence on Saturday, July 9th, 2011 after 99% of southern Sudan people voted in a referendum to form a sovereign country of their own, the landlocked Republic of SOUTH SUDAN is currently the world’s newest country and is located at the confluence of East Africa and North Africa. The introduction of South Sudan to the world meant that Sudan is no longer Africa's largest country. South Sudan borders six countries: Central African Republic located to the west, Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo) to the south, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya to the southeast, Sudan to the north, and Uganda to the south. The currency of South Sudan is the South Sudanese Pound, and its ISO 4217 currency code is SSP. 100 Piasters equal one South Sudanese Pound. The Sudanese Pound (SDG) currency was used for several months after achieving independence from Sudan.

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  Based on the GeoFact of the Day Blog’s 2016 estimate, South Sudan’s total population hovers around 11.15 million. The national capital is located at Juba, home to about 375,000 residents. Other cities and towns scattered throughout South Sudan include Ayod, Gumbiel, Kapoeta, Malakal (a once-thriving city destroyed by civil wars), Nyamllel, Paloich, Popiu, Raga, Tonga, and Waw. There are about 68 ethnic groups and native languages present in South Sudan. Major ethnicities and languages include Acholi, Anuak, Avokaya, Baka, Bari (600,000 people), Beli, Didinga, Dinka (1,370,000), Gbaya, Jur Modo (also known as Jur, or Modo), Kakwa, Lango, Lopit, Luwo, Mabaan, Mandari, Morokodo, Mündü, Murle, Ndogo, Nuer (800,000), Olu'bo, Otuho, Reel, Shilluk, Toposa, Uduk, and Zande (450,000). English is South Sudan's official language, while Sudanese Arabic and Sudanese Creole Arabic are other widely communicated languages. Over 80% of South Sudanese citizens adhere to native religions and traditions, while others are mostly Christian or Islamic.

● ● ● ● ●  Land Features  ● ● ● ● ●  Especially compared to Sudan, South Sudan possesses thousands of forested acres and also gained access to oil resources – but currently lacks the infrastructure required to properly refine and distribute this money-making commodity. Several national parks attempt to protect forests from natural resource exploitation and animal poaching. These parks include Boma National Park, Nimule National Park, and Southern National Park. The mighty White Nile river flows north to south in eastern South Sudan, bypassing communities such as (from north to south) Geiger, Ar Rank, El Galhak, Paloich, Kodok, Malakal, Bor, Malek, Tombe, Terakeka, Lado, Juba, and Kajo-Kaji. The Qanat Junqoley (Qanāt Junqalī) canal provides a shortcut to shorten the winding river, signifying the importance of boat-based transportation in surrounding communities. South Sudan's highest point is Mount Kinyeti, standing at an elevation of 3,187 meters (over 10,455 feet) near Uganda. Kinyeti is the Imatong mountain range's prominent peak, and its located is west of the Didinga Hills and east of Juba.

This post was comprehensively updated on August 25th, 2016.