This is a young and very peculiar state of Africa. Think about it: it has only 30 km of paved roads and about 250 km of railroad tracks. And those are not in the best condition. Even the capital of South Sudan has no running water. However, its inhabitants do not lose heart and look with hope to the future, expecting only the best from it.
General information
- Full name - Republic of South Sudan.
- The area of the country is 620 thousand square kilometers.
- The capital of South Sudan is the city of Juba.
- The population is 11.8 million people (as of July 2014).
- The population density is 19 people / sq. km
- The official language is English.
- Currency - South Sudanese Pound.
- The time difference with Moscow is minus 1 hour.
Geographical position
South Sudan is the youngest state in modern Africa. Only in the summer of 2011 did it gain independence from Sudan and thus gained a new status. South Sudan is located in East Africa. He has no access to the sea. The north and the center of the country occupy the plains, and in the south the highlands stretch. The main geographical feature of this hot African country is that a river flows through its entire territory. This is one of the tributaries of the Nile - the White Nile. This is what gives very good potential for the development of agriculture and livestock. Borders South Sudan with Kenya and Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Congo, the Central African Republic.
Climate
The country is geographically located in the subequatorial climate zone. From this follows the characteristic of its weather conditions. It's hot all year round. The seasons differ from each other only in the amount of precipitation. Winter is shorter. It is characterized by low rainfall. Summer is more rainy. In the north of the country, the annual rainfall is 700 mm, while in the south and south-west these figures are 2 times higher - 1400 mm. During the summer monsoon rains, rivers and marshes located in the central part of the republic are fed.
Flora and fauna
It is safe to say that South Sudan is a country that is relatively lucky with natural conditions. Indeed, a river flows through its entire territory, making it possible for plants and animals to exist. The country has a lot of trees and shrubs. The south of the state is occupied by tropical monsoon forests. In the extreme south, equatorial stretched. The Central African Highlands and the Ethiopian Range are covered in mountain forests. Along the river bed are gallery foci and shrubs. The government is trying to preserve the natural wealth of their country. It was nature protection that the president designated as one of the most important areas of domestic policy. There are many protected areas and reserves. Wildlife migration routes run through South Sudan. Nature has created ideal conditions for the settlement of these places with elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalos, African antelopes and other representatives of the fauna.
Population
Residents of the Republic of South Sudan exist in very difficult conditions. Almost one survives to old age, more precisely, to the age of 65 years, only 2%. The percentage of child mortality is very high. There are many reasons for this. Low living standards, poor quality food, lack of drinking water, poorly developed medicine, frequent infection from sick animals - all this leads to the development of infectious diseases in the state of South Sudan. The country's population is just over 11 million people. Agree, this is a bit.
And even despite high mortality and active migration, population growth rates remain high. The reason for this is a good birth rate. The average number of children for every woman in the country is 5 or 4. The ethnic composition is rather complicated: more than 570 different ethnic groups and nationalities live here, most of them are black Africans. The main religion is Christianity, although the local African beliefs are of great importance. The official language is one - English, but Arabic is also very common. The bulk of the population lives in rural areas and in villages. Residents of cities make up only 19% of the total population. The literacy rate also leaves much to be desired - 27%. Among men, this percentage is 40%, women - only 16%.
Political structure
Now South Sudan is an independent and independent state. The country received this status after July 9, 2011, when it withdrew from the Sudan. The country's leadership is carried out by the president, who is both the head of the republic and the head of government. He is elected for 4 years. The country's parliament is bicameral and consists of the Council of States and the National Legislative Assembly. There are 3 political parties in parliament. Territorial division: the state of South Sudan consists of 10 states that used to be provinces. Each of them has its own constitution and governing bodies.
Flag
It is an alternation of stripes - black, white, red, white and green. On the left side is a blue triangle with a star. What does the flag symbolize? Black color speaks of a black nation. White is a symbol of the freedom that the people have long dreamed of gaining. Red is the color of blood shed by millions in the struggle for their independence. Green is a symbol of land fertility, the wealth of flora and fauna of South Sudan. The blue color symbolizes the waters of the White Nile - the river that gives life to this country. The star on the flag of the state indicates the integrity of its individual 10 states. The idea of such a state symbol is as follows: the black Africans living in South Sudan are united in a complex struggle for the peace and prosperity of all the inhabitants of their country.
Coat of arms
Another distinctive sign of the state is also very symbolic. The coat of arms depicts a bird with spread wings. Namely, the secretary bird. This representative of the feathered genus lives on African meadows and savannahs and is distinguished by its special endurance. He tracks down and attacks his prey for a long time (small lizards, snakes and even young gazelles), moving on foot. The secretary bird is held in high esteem by many African peoples. Her image is present on the presidential flag, state seal, on military insignia. On the coat of arms, her head is turned to the right, a characteristic crest is visible in profile. At the top of the image there is a banner with the inscription "Victory is ours", another below with the name of the state "Republic of Sudan". In the paws of the bird is a shield. On the edge of the coat of arms the full name of the state is once again indicated.
History of the development of the state
In the modern territory of South Sudan during the colonization of Africa, there was no state as such. Only separate tribes lived here, which peacefully existed with each other. They represented different nationalities who got along well together. When European states, primarily Great Britain, began to actively attack new lands, colonizing them, the peace of local residents was disrupted. The colonialists occupy territories in order to seize their resources. South Sudan was no exception.
Europeans were interested in both slaves and gold, wood, ivory. The first such invasions began in 1820-1821, and the Turkish-Egyptian troops were invaders. As a result of these raids, millions of people became slaves in neighboring Arab countries. For more than 60 years, the Turkish-Egyptian regime existed in Sudan. Then power passed to the Ottoman Empire. After its collapse, Egypt and Great Britain entered into a conspiracy to seize Sudan, dividing it north and south. And only since 1956, Sudan became independent, having different administrative structures for the north and south. Since that time, civil clashes began inside the country.
Historians and political scientists believe that in the north of the country the colonialists developed the socio-economic branches of life, while they did not engage in the south, leaving everything at the mercy of Christian missionaries. There were different development programs for the north and south, a visa regime was introduced to cross borders, residents of South Sudan were forbidden to contact foreigners. All this only increased social inequality without bringing the desired socio-economic development. Then the British colonialists changed their policies, starting a “unifying” mission. However, she was against the southerners. In fact, the British, united with the elite of the north, dictated the living conditions of the population of the south. South Sudan was left without political and economic power.
In 1955, an uprising broke out against the invaders. This civil war lasted 17 years. As a result, in 1972, an agreement was signed that gave some freedom to the Republic of South Sudan. Independence, however, largely remained only on paper. Violent Islamization, enslavement, mass killings, executions, and complete stagnation in socio-economic life continued. Real changes occurred in 2005, when another peace agreement was signed in Nairobi, Kenya. It stipulated that South Sudan receives a new Constitution, a certain autonomy and self-government. On July 9, 2005, the leader of the black liberation movement, Dr. Garang, became the first vice president of the Republic of Sudan. The agreement determined a period of 6 years, after which the republic can hold a referendum on self-determination. And on July 9, 2011, a popular vote was held in which 98% of the inhabitants of South Sudan voted in favor of the sovereignty of the state. From this time began a new stage in the life of the country.
Foreign policy
After the referendum and declaration of independence, South Sudan gained sovereignty. Surprisingly, the first state to officially recognize this was its northern neighbor. Currently, almost all the powers of the world have recognized the new state, including Russia. Foreign policy is focused on nearby African countries, as well as the UK. Interaction with North Sudan remains extremely difficult due to the large number of controversial economic and territorial issues. But many international organizations successfully cooperate with the new state. For example, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, and the United Nations. He was recognized by all members of the G8 and the BRICS countries.
Economy
South Sudan and North Sudan fought each other for too long. This did not have a positive impact on the country's economy. Although there are more than enough problems in the national economy, South Sudan has enormous potential. The country is rich in resources. This is primarily oil. Sudan's budget is 98% replenished with revenues from the sale of black gold. The presence of the river allows you to get cheap hydropower for industrial development. There are many other minerals - copper, zinc, tungsten, gold and silver. Lack of transport routes, lack of electricity, poor quality of drinking water, destroyed infrastructure - all this impedes the development of the economy. However, the country has no external debt, the level of income exceeds expenses. That is why Sudan is considered a country with high potential. In agriculture, cotton, sugarcane, peanuts, papaya, mangoes, bananas, sesame and wheat are grown. Cattle breeding is based on the breeding of camels and sheep.
Healthcare
This social sphere is very poorly developed. Low infrastructure and literacy contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. Every now and then epidemics of malaria and cholera, black fever flare up. The country has one of the highest HIV infection rates worldwide. There are strange diseases that are not found anywhere else in the world, for example, nodding fever.
sights
The cities of South Sudan cannot boast of anything unusual. The main attraction of the country is its beautiful and unique nature. She is in a pristine, pristine condition. Here you can enjoy the views of the savannah and its inhabitants. It is a haven for safari enthusiasts. In the National Park on the border with the Congo and in the Bohm National Park, you can see wild animals - giraffes, lions, antelopes - in their natural habitat.
Big cities
The capital of the republic is the largest city in it. The population of Juba is about 372 thousand people.
Other large cities are Wow, which has 110 thousand inhabitants, Malakai - 95 thousand, She - 62 thousand, Uvayl - 49 thousand. As already noted, this is mainly a rural country, only 19% of the population lives in cities. However, the government plans to move the capital to Ramsel. So far, the main city remains Juba. South Sudan announced the construction of a new administrative capital district in the center of the country.