Table of Contents Introduction 1 Methodology 1 Critical Facts and Figures 2 Geography 2 Demographics 4 Historical Background 7 Journey to Independence 11 South Sudanese Political System 11 After Independence - The South Sudanese Civil War 13 Economic Indicators and Natural Resources 18 Social Indicators 26 The Current Situation 32 Implications of the Figures 32 Conclusion 33 1. Introduction 9 July 2011 was a landmark day for Africa and the world. It was the day that introduced a new player to international politics by giving birth to the planet’s newest nation: The Republic of South Sudan. As the day that marked the end of Africa’s longest running civil war, 9 July 2011 was full of hope and recommencement. However, it also marked the beginning of a troublesome story: South Sudan’s internal struggles for national unity and enduring peace. As a new-born country, South Sudan finds itself in a particularly important, challenging and interesting time. Therefore it is essential to ensure that the available data is put to the best use possible. This country report not only offers a collection of current, reliable, and valid data, it also provides a clear and accessible narrative for those willing to busy themselves with the newest country on earth, the beauties it entails, as well as the challenges it faces. 2. Methodology Former Sudan is one of the few countries on earth where data collection has been extremely neglected over decades. At least since 1978, household surveys at the national level have been rarely conducted. For a long time, little was known about indicators such as poverty, income or economic prosperity in the region. Data collection on the ground is often difficult, if not impossible. However, since 2009, the availability of data has steadily increased. Domestic programmes such as the National Baseline Household Survey (NBHS), and foreign agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the United Nations (UN), endeavour to increase the pool of reliable data. Nevertheless, compiling a country factbook that entails all areas of interest poses a challenge for the researcher. The methodology applied in this country report is therefore based on document studies of existing records. Such records provide insights into a setting that cannot be observed in another way. Page | 1 Examples of the records used as sources for this report are newspaper archives (the economist, BBC, etc.), local business records, census and vital statistics – mostly assessed through UN - and government sources. Moreover, existing academic research papers on South Sudan have been taken into account as sources of information. Naturally, a document study poses certain limitations to the research: the information might be incomplete, it is challenging to locate suitable documents poses a challenge in terms of time consumption and accessibility, and there is a higher risk that the data may be inaccurate or of questionable authenticity. Therefore, it was essential to conduct a quick assessment of data quality before incorporating certain sources. Only reliable and current sources have been taken into account. Assembling data from various existing documents assisted in gathering information about relevant trends in South Sudan. Thereby, this factbook provides a quick reference for statistical information and serves as an introduction to available data for policy makers, the international community and everyone interested in the newest country on earth – South Sudan. 3. Critical Facts and Figures 3.1 Geography South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked East-African country. It shares borders with Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest, Sudan to the north, and the Central African Republic to the west1. With a size of 644329 km2, South Sudan is comparable to US-American Georgia or Texas2. 1Central Intelligence Agency (n.d.). The World Factbook. Retrieved August 17, 2016 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html 2Ibid. Page | 2 The climate in South Sudan is generally very hot. Seasonal rainfall is heaviest in upland areas in the Southern country-part, while the north is quite dry3. The White Nile dominates the centre of South Sudan, constituting the country’s major 3Central Intelligence Agency (n.d.). The World Factbook. Retrieved August 17, 2016 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html Page | 3 geographical feature. It feeds the so-called “Sudd”, a large and swampy terrain, bigger than 1000.000 km4. The Sudd is one of the world’s largest wetlands, comprising 15% of South Sudan’s total area. The country’s highest peak is on mount Kinyeti at 3.187 meters above sea level. 3.2 Demographics South Sudan, with its population of approximately 12 million people, is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries of the whole world. It has an estimated minimum of 163 distinct “people groups”, each consisting of numerous different tribes5. Despite many commonalities between them, each ethnic group has a unique system of social culture, traditions, languages and identities6. This diversity possesses both a unique and colorful richness, but at the same time poses a threat to national unity and a common sense of identity. In this multiethnic society, no ethnic group constitutes a majority in South Sudan. However, Dinka and Nuer make up roughly over 50% of the population, with Dinka portraying the most populous group (35,8%)7, outnumbering the Nuer by a factor of two to one. Dinka and Nuer share their culture, with similar languages and spiritual beliefs8. Other groups include Shilluk, Azande, Bari, Kakwa, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona and Acholi, together constituting the other half of South Sudan’s population9. 4Ibid. 5LeRiche, M. & Arnold, M. (2013). South Sudan - From Revolution to Independence, Oxford University Press 6Global Security (n.d.). South Sudan Tribes. Retrieved August 17 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/south-sudan-tribes.htm 7Central Intelligence Agency (n.d.). The World Factbook. Retrieved August 17, 2016 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html 8Kiranda, Y., Kamp, M., Mugisha, M.B. & Ojok, D. (2016). Conflict and State Formation in South Sudan: The Logic of Oil Revenues in Influencing the Dynamics of Elite Bargains. Journal on Perspective on African Democracy and Development. Vol. 1, Issue 1 9Central Intelligence Agency (n.d.). The World Factbook. Retrieved August 17, 2016 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html Page | 4 About 40% of South Sudanese speak one of the Nilo-Saharan languages, which is an extremely diverse language family10. The most common languages are Dinka and Nuer, but English has become a common second language. Today it is one of the official languages of the South Sudanese government11. Religiously, Christianity has dominated South Sudan since British colonialism. However, syncretism of Christian and traditional African tribal beliefs is also widely spread, such as belief in the power of ancestors to watch over the living. A minority of Arab tribes practices Islam. 10Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Washington DC (n.d.). Languages. Retrieved August 23, 2016 from http://www.southsudanembassydc.org/map.asp 11LeRiche, M. & Arnold, M. (2013). South Sudan - From Revolution to Independence, Oxford University Press Page | 5 Historically, neither the Dinka nor the Nuer have a culture of political centrality. Rather they practice a so-called cattle culture, with livestock portraying the major measure of wealth and land being held by the whole community12. The South Sudanese population is extremely young, as 65% of South Sudanese are younger than 25. 45% are younger than 15 years old, with no apparent differences between male and female citizens13. This age distribution results in a medium age of only 17 years, making South Sudan one of the six youngest countries in the world14. Consequently, South Sudan’s dependency ratio (the number of dependents aged zero to 14 and over the age of 65, in comparison to those of working age) is really high: 83.7%. Moreover, South Sudan is one of the three fastest growing countries in the world. Its 12Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan (n.d.). Culture. Retrieved August 25, 2016 from http://www.southsudanembassydc.org/inner.asp?z=5C5F 13Central Intelligence Agency (n.d.).The World Factbook. Retrieved August 17, 2016 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html 14Grant, K. (2014). The oldest and the youngest countries in the world. Independent. Retrieved August 23, 2016 from http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/the-oldest-and-youngest-countries-in-the-world-- x1RyvYIUEe Page | 6 population grows by 4.12% each year, with 36.91 births per 10.000 people compared to a death rate of 8.18 deaths per 1.000 people15. South Sudanese people mostly live in rural settings, even though urbanization – with Juba as the major urban area of the country (321.000 citizens) – is increasing. 3.3 Historical Background The history of South Sudan is a turbulent one; one that is closely intertwined with the history of its northern neighbor, the Republic of Sudan16. Religious and ethnic tensions have shaped the relationship between those two nations for centuries. While Sudan is home to Islamized Arabs, South Sudan is characterized by Black African Christian and Animist peoples17. From 1899 to 1956, South Sudan was part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, ruled by the joint British-Egyptian regime18. Largely left to itself, the isolated population of the South was converted by Christian missionaries who promoted the spread of English in the region. Under British-Egyptian 15Index Mundi (n.d.). Population Growth Rate. Retrieved August 23, 2016 from http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=24 16Kramer, R.S., Lobban, R.A.