The Republic of South Sudan

South Sudan is a country located in East-Central Africa, south of Sudan and north of Uganda and Kenya, covering an area of approximately 644,329 square kilometers. As of 2024, South Sudan has a population of about 12.7 million, with English and Arabic as official languages alongside ethnic languages including Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, and Shilluk. The country features plains in the north and center rising to southern highlands, with the White Nile as the major geographic feature and the Sudd swamp dominating the center. Juba serves as the capital, and the government operates as a presidential republic.

South Sudan has a low-income, oil-based Sahelian economy with a GDP of $4.63 billion and a GDP per capita of just $400, with a 2015 economic growth rate of -36.8%. Natural resources include hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, and silver. The unemployment rate is 82.3% as of 2016, with a life expectancy of 57.7 years. South Sudan faces extreme poverty and food insecurity, and ongoing violence has crippled its socioeconomic potential despite being rich in natural resources.