1) Natural geography


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

Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references
Africa

Area
total
644,329 sq km

country comparison to the world
42

Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
total
5,413 km

Border countries
Central African Republic 989 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 639 km, Ethiopia 934 km, Kenya 232 km, Sudan 2,184 km, Uganda 435 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

Climate
hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall is heaviest in the upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north

Terrain
the terrain gradually rises from plains in the north and center 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 supporting agriculture and extensive wild animal populations; 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.

Elevation extremes
Lowest point
NA

Highest point
Kinyeti 3,187 m

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

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


2) Human geography

Nationality
Noun
South Sudanese (singular and plural)

Adjective
South Sudanese

Ethnic groups
Dinka, Kakwa, Bari, Azande, Shilluk, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi

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


Population
10,625,176 (July 2012 est.)

Country comparison to the world
80

Age structure
0-14 years, 46.5% (2,526,970 male/ female 2,414,245)
15-64 years, 51.3% (2,738,478 male/ female 2,716,671)
65 years and over, 2.2% (130,001 male/ female 98,811) (2012 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population
22% (2009 est.)

Major cities - population
JUBA (capital) 250,000 (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
total
71.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Country comparison to the world
19

improved

Urban
67% of population

Rural
53% of population

Total
55% of population

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
3.1% (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world
23
Major infectious diseases

Degree of risk
very high

Food or waterborne disease
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease
malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)

Water contact disease
schistosomiasis
respiratory disease
meningococcal meningitis

Animal contact disease
rabies

Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
27%
male
40%
female
16%

Disputes - internationa
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
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.

Refugees (country of origin)
108,000 (Sudan); 20,980 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 4,967 (Ethiopia)

IDPs
350,000 (rebel militia attacks and inter-communal clashes in 2011) (2012)