2015 Edition

Background

Egypt attempted to colonize the region of southern Sudan by establishing the province of Equatoria in the 1870s. Islamic Mahdist revolutionaries overran the region in 1885, but in 1898 a British force was able to overthrow the Mahdist regime. An Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was established the following year with Equatoria being the southernmost of its eight provinces. The isolated region was largely left to itself over the following decades, but Christian missionaries converted much of the population and facilitated the spread of English. When Sudan gained its independence in 1956, it was with the understanding that the southerners would be able to participate fully in the political system. When the Arab Khartoum government reneged on its promises, a mutiny began that led to two prolonged periods of conflict (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in which perhaps 2.5 million people died - mostly civilians - due to starvation and drought. Ongoing peace talks finally resulted in a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005. As part of this agreement, the south was granted a six-year period of autonomy to be followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum, held in January 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession. Since independence on 9 July 2011, South Sudan has struggled with good governance and nation building and has attempted to control rebel militia groups operating in its territory. Economic conditions have deteriorated since January 2012 when the government decided to shut down oil production following bilateral disagreements with Sudan.

Area

land

NA

total

644,329 sq km

water

NA

Area - comparative

more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Kinyeti 3,187 m

Lowest point

NA

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 30 00 E

Geography - note

The Sudd is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, comprising more than 15% of the total area; it is one of the world's largest wetlands

Land boundaries

border countries (6)

Central African Republic 1,055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1,299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2,158 km, Uganda 475 km

note

South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan

total

6,018 km

Location

East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver

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

Age structure

0-14 years

45.34% (male 2,783,904/female 2,676,370)

15-24 years

20.08% (male 1,274,328/female 1,144,181)

25-54 years

29.25% (male 1,701,044/female 1,821,277)

55-64 years

3.23% (male 210,231/female 179,076)

65 years and over

2.1% (male 140,993/female 111,506) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

36.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

27.6% (2010)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

4% (2010)

Death rate

8.18 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.4%

potential support ratio

15.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

83.7%

youth dependency ratio

77.3%

Drinking water source

urban: 66.7% of population

rural: 56.9% of population

total: 58.7% of population

urban: 33.3% of population

rural: 43.1% of population

total: 41.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

0.7% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

Dinka 35.8%, Nuer 15.6%, Shilluk, Azande, Bari, Kakwa, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi (2011 est.)

Health expenditures

2.2% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.71% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

12,700 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

193,400 (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

61.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

71.05 deaths/1,000 live births

total

66.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

16% (2009 est.)

male

40%

total population

27%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2013)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne disease

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne disease

malaria, dengue fever, trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness)

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

JUBA (capital) 321,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

789 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

17.1 years (2015 est.)

male

16.8 years

total

17 years

Nationality

adjective

South Sudanese

noun

South Sudanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

11.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.6% (2014)

Population

12,042,910 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

4.02% (2015 est.)

Religions

animist, Christian

Sanitation facility access

urban: 16.4% of population

rural: 4.5% of population

total: 6.7% of population

urban: 83.6% of population

rural: 95.5% of population

total: 93.3% of population (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.31 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

17% (2008 est.)

male

20%

total

18.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

5.05% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

18.8% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria

Capital

geographic coordinates

04 51 N 31 37 E

name

Juba

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of South Sudan

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

previous 2005 (preindependence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011); amended 2015 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of South Sudan

conventional short form

South Sudan

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Mary Catherine PHEE (since July 2015)

embassy

Kololo Road adjacent to the EU's compound, Juba

telephone

[211] (0) 912-105-188

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1015 31st St., NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC, 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Garang Diing AKUONG (since 23 February 2015)

FAX

[1] (202) 293-7941

telephone

[1] (202) 293-7940

Executive branch

cabinet

National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by National Legislative Assembly

chief of state

President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 23 August 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Salva KIIR Mayardit elected president; percent of vote - Salva KIIR Mayardit (SPLM) 93%, Lam AKOL (SPLM-DC) 7%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11-15 April 2010 (the next election has been postponed from 2015 to 2018 due to instability and violence)

head of government

President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 23 August 2013)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side contains a gold, five-pointed star; black represents the people of South Sudan, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green the verdant land, and blue the waters of the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the states making up South Sudan

note

resembles the flag of Kenya; one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Africa's

Government type

republic

Independence

9 July 2011 (from Sudan)

International organization participation

AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of 7 justices including the court president and deputy president and organized into panels of 3 justices except when sitting as a Constitutional panel of all 7 justices)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Council, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

national level - Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level - High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals

Legislative branch

description

bicameral National Legislature consists of the Council of States (50 seats; the Council of States, established by presidential decree in August 2011, includes 50 members - 20 former members of the Council of States and 30 appointed representatives ) and the National Legislative Assembly (332 seats; the National Assembly, also established by presidential decree in August 2011, includes 170 members elected in April 2010, 96 members of the former National Assembly, and 66 newly appointed members)

election results

National Legislative Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 251, SPLM-DC 6, NCP 3, independent 6, unknown 66; Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SPLM 20, unknown 30

elections

National Legislative Assembly - last held 11-15 April 2010 but did not take office until July 2011; because of political instability, current parliamentary term extended until next election on 9 July 2018); Council of States - established and members appointed 1 August 2011

National anthem

lyrics/music

collective of 49 poets/Juba University students and teachers

name

South Sudan Oyee! (Hooray!)

note

adopted 2011; anthem selected in a national contest

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 July (2011)

National symbol(s)

African fish eagle; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

Political parties and leaders

National Congress Party of NCP [Omar al-BASHIR]

Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva KIIR Mayardit]

Sudan People's Liberation Movement for Democratic Change or SPLM-DC [Lam AKOL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sorghum, maize, rice, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, mangoes, papayas, bananas, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, cotton, sesame seeds, cassava (manioc, tapioca), beans, peanuts; cattle, sheep

Budget

expenditures

$2.259 billion (FY 2013 est.)

revenues

$437 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-12.7% of GDP (FY 2013 est.)

Current account balance

$380 million (2014 est.)

-$181 million (2013 est.) (2014 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46 (2010 est.)

Economy - overview

Following several decades of civil war with Sudan, industry and infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan are severely underdeveloped and poverty is widespread. Subsistence agriculture provides a living for the vast majority of the population. Property rights are insecure and price signals are weak, because markets are not well organized. After independence, South Sudan's central bank issued a new currency, the South Sudanese Pound, allowing a short grace period for turning in the old currency.

South Sudan has little infrastructure - approximately 250 kilometers of paved roads. Electricity is produced mostly by costly diesel generators, and indoor plumbing and potable water are scarce. South Sudan depends largely on imports of goods, services, and capital - mainly from Uganda, Kenya and Sudan.

Nevertheless, South Sudan does have abundant natural resources. At independence in 2011, South Sudan produced nearly three-fourths of former Sudan's total oil output of nearly a half million barrels per day. The government of South Sudan derives nearly 98% of its budget revenues from oil. Oil is exported through two pipelines that run to refineries and shipping facilities at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The economy of South Sudan will remain linked to Sudan for some time, given the long lead time and great expense required to build another pipeline, should the government decide to do so. In January 2012, South Sudan suspended production of oil because of its dispute with Sudan over transshipment fees. This suspension lasted 15 months and had a devastating impact on GDP, which declined by 48% in 2012. With the resumption of oil flows the economy rebounded strongly during the second half of calendar year 2013. This occurred in spite of the fact that oil production, at an average level of 222,000 barrels per day, was 40% lower compared with 2011, prior to the shutdown. GDP grew by about 25% in 2014. However, the outbreak of conflict on 15 December 2013 combined with a further reduction of oil exports, meant that GDP growth fell significantly in 2014 and poverty and food insecurity rose. South Sudan holds one of the richest agricultural areas in Africa with fertile soils and abundant water supplies. Currently the region supports 10-20 million head of cattle.

South Sudan is currently burdened by considerable debt, accrued largely in 2012, because of rapidly accumulating arrears and increased military spending. South Sudan has received more than $4 billion in foreign aid since 2005, largely from the UK, the US, Norway, and the Netherlands. Annual inflation peaked at 79.5% in May 2012 but declined rapidly thereafter, to 1.7% in 2013. Following the December 2013 outbreak of violence, inflation is on the rise again. Long-term challenges include diversifying the formal economy, alleviating poverty, maintaining macroeconomic stability, improving tax collection and financial management and improving the business environment.

Exchange rates

South Sudanese pounds (SSP) per US dollar -

0.7489 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

0.78 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

(2011 est.)

exports of goods and services

64.9%

government consumption

17.1%

household consumption

34.9%

imports of goods and services

-27.2%

investment in fixed capital

10.4%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,100 (2014 est.)

$2,000 (2013 est.)

$1,600 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.9% (2014 est.)

29.3% (2013 est.)

-52.4% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.3 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$23.5 billion (2014 est.)

$22.83 billion (2013 est.)

$17.65 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

15.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

11.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

-8.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.7% (2014 est.)

0% (2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

50.6% (2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.194 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$2.23 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.873 billion (31 December 2013)

$2.032 billion (31 December 2012)

Taxes and other revenues

3.1% of GDP (FY 2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

2.016 million Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

291,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

220,000 bbl/day (Second half, 2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

3.75 billion bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

694.1 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

30.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

66.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

255,200 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

881.3 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

63.71 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

13,050 bbl/day

Broadcast media

TV is controlled by the government; several private FM stations are operational in South Sudan; some foreign radio broadcasts are available

Internet country code

.ss

Telephone system

international

country code - 211

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2014 est.)

total

2.9 million

Airports

85 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

total

3

Airports - with unpaved runways

34 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

12

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

35

total

82

Heliports

1 (2013)

Railways

note

a narrow guage, single-track railroad between Babonosa (Sudan) and Wau, the only existing rail system, was repaired in 2010 with $250 million in UN funds (2014)

total

248 km

Roadways

note

most of the road network is unpaved and much of it is in disrepair; a 192-km paved road between the capital, Juba, and Nimule on the Ugandan border was constructed with USAID funds in 2012 (2012)

total

7,000 km

Waterways

see entry for Sudan

Military branches

Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)

Military expenditures

10.32% of GDP (2012)

5.8% of GDP (2011)

10.32% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory and voluntary military service; the Government of South Sudan signed a revised action plan with the UN in March 2012 to demobilize all child soldiers within the SPLA; UNICEF reported 250 confirmed cases of the SPLA's association with children at the end of 2012 (2012)

Disputes - international

South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment, final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan; periodic violent skirmishes with South Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republic; the boundary that separates Kenya and South Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,696,962 (alleged coup attempt and ethnic conflict beginning in December 2013; information is lacking on those displaced in earlier years by: fighting in Abyei between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in May 2011; clashes between the SPLA and dissident militia groups in South Sudan; inter-ethnic conflicts over resources and cattle; attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army; floods and drought) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

242,473 (Sudan); 15,689 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2015)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

South Sudan is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; South Sudanese women and girls, particularly those who are internally displaced, orphaned, or from rural areas, are vulnerable to forced labor and sexual exploitation, often in urban centers; the rising number of street children and child laborers are also exploited for forced labor and prostitution; women and girls from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are trafficked to South Sudan with promises of legitimate jobs and are forced into the sex trade; inter-ethnic abductions continue between some communities in South Sudan, with abductees subsequently faced with domestic servitude, forced herding, or sex trafficking; government security forces and armed militia groups continue to recruit children

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - South Sudan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute a significant effort toward meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking; implementation of a UN-backed action plan to eliminate the use of child soldiers in the country’s armed forces continued in 2013, but no officers complicit in the ongoing recruitment of children were investigated, prosecuted, or punished; efforts to address other forms of human trafficking were negligible; South Sudanese law does not prohibit all forms of human trafficking, and authorities did not investigate or prosecute any offenders; limited protection was provided to former child soldiers in 2013, while no steps were taken to identify victims of sex or labor trafficking or to refer them to care (2014)