South Sudan

Population-8.3 million (CIA 2008)

GNI- US$984 (South Sudan govt. press release Aug. 2011)

Size- 644,329 sq km

Major religions- Christianity, Indigenous beliefs

Life Expectancy- 62 (World Bank 2008)

Literacy rate- 27% (Male- 40%, female- 16%) (CIA)

Percentage of population with access to improved water source- 55% (CIA)

Infant mortality rate (deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1,000 of the population)- 102 (CIA 2006)

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

Summary Profile

July 2011 saw the creation of the world’s newest nation-state. South Sudan was created following a January referendum in which 98% called for secession from Sudan. The primarily black south had been fighting the Arab north for decades leading to the deaths of 1.5 million people. The worst hit area, Darfur, was left with 2 million displaced people.

South Sudan is one of the least developed countries in the world. The extensive oil reserves should lead to greater prosperity but at the moment the resource is causing further tension with the north. Following seccession South Sudan holds about 75% of the oil reserves but the refineries and important pipelines are in the north. The Development of the country’s economy and infrastructure remains very slow. The country contains a great mix of peoples and languages and the sparseness of the population means that many people remain isolated and in great need of humanitarian aid. Money from the oil is not yet reaching the population, who mostly continue to survive on subsistence agriculture.

South Sudan has been given the opportunity to build a nation-state from scratch but external help is sorely needed, especially while tensions remain over border territories with the north. Over 10% of newborns die within the first year, one of the worst infant mortality rates in the world.