South Sudan
Africa ยท Capital: Juba
How it is run: South Sudan is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
South Sudan is home to 12.2 million people in Middle Africa, where people speak English.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
12.2 million people
That is 0.2% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
619,745 kmยฒ
Bigger than Texas โ a long road trip from one side to the other.
๐๏ธ How crowded
Only about 20 people per square kilometre โ lots of wide open space between towns.
๐ Size in its region
32nd most people in Africa
20th largest by land in Africa.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
English
๐ฐ Money
South Sudanese pound (ยฃ)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
57.7 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$1,080
A lower-income country: money for schools, clinics and roads has to stretch a very long way.
๐ข Living in cities
21.7% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
38% of the population
A very young country โ schools have to be built quickly.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+211
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.ss
๐ง People here are called
South Sudanese
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
South Sudan
๐ Coast or inland
Landlocked โ no coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
African Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
South Sudan is landlocked โ it has no coastline, so anything arriving by sea must cross a neighbour's border first.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Sudรกn del Sur
French
Soudan du Sud
Arabic
ุฌููุจ ุงูุณูุฏุงู
Chinese
ๅ่ไธน
Japanese
ๅในใผใใณ
Russian
ะฎะถะฝัะน ะกัะดะฐะฝ
Portuguese
Sudรฃo do Sul
German
Sรผdsudan
Put it in perspective ๐
- Nigeria โ the most populated country in Africa โ has about 19.5ร as many people as South Sudan.
- South Sudan covers roughly 5,902 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in South Sudan lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 6,094 km.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: South Sudan lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Republic of South Sudan
๐๏ธ Capital
Juba
๐ Region
Africa ยท Middle Africa
๐ค Country code
SS
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about South Sudan ๐
๐งญ Where on the map
7.0ยฐ N, 30.0ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+2 โ when it is noon in London it is about 14:00 in Juba.
- South Sudan is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- South Sudan sits in Middle Africa, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- South Sudan lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- South Sudan is close to the line of 0ยฐ longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- South Sudan is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- South Sudan has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Being landlocked means paying neighbours to move goods to the sea. What deal would you offer a neighbour if you led South Sudan?
- If South Sudan spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of South Sudan?
Juba
Which money do people spend in South Sudan?
South Sudanese pound (ยฃ)
How many countries share a land border with South Sudan?
6 โ Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda.
Roughly how many people live in South Sudan?
12.2 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.