South Sudan is a country in eastern Africa. It is bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and DRC to the south, and Central African Republic to the west.
Egypt attempted to colonize the region of southern Sudan by establishing
the province of Equatoria in the 1870s. Islamic Mahdist revolutionaries
overran the region in 1885, but in 1898 a British force was able to
overthrow the Mahdist regime. An Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was established
the following year with Equatoria being the southernmost of its eight
provinces. The isolated region was largely left to itself over the
following decades, but Christian missionaries converted much of the
population and facilitated the spread of English. When Sudan gained its
independence in 1956, it was with the understanding that the southerners
would be able to participate fully in the political system. When the
Arab Khartoum government reneged on its promises, a mutiny began that
led to two prolonged periods of conflict (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in
which perhaps 2.5 million people died - mostly civilians - due to
starvation and drought. Ongoing peace talks finally resulted in a
Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005. As part of this
agreement the south was granted a six-year period of autonomy to be
followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum,
held in January 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession.
Independence was attained on 9 July 2011. Since independence South Sudan
has struggled with good governance and nation building and has
attempted to control rebel militia groups operating in its territory.
Economic conditions have deteriorated since January 2012 when the
government decided to shut down oil production following bilateral
disagreements with Sudan.
Overview: Following several decades of civil war with Sudan, industry and
infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan are severely underdeveloped and
poverty is widespread. Subsistence agriculture provides a living for
the vast majority of the population. Property rights are insecure and
price signals are weak, because markets are not well organized. South
Sudan has little infrastructure - approximately 250 kilometers of paved
roads. Electricity is produced mostly by costly diesel generators and
indoor plumbing and potable water are scarce. South Sudan depends
largely on imports of goods, services, and capital - mainly from Uganda,
Kenya and Sudan. Nevertheless, South Sudan does have abundant natural
resources. At independence in 2011, South Sudan produced nearly
three-fourths of former Sudan's total oil output of nearly a half
million barrels per day. The government of South Sudan derives nearly
98% of its budget revenues from oil. Oil is exported through two
pipelines that run to refineries and shipping facilities at Port Sudan
on the Red Sea. The economy of South Sudan will remain linked to Sudan
for some time, given the long lead time and great expense required to
build another pipeline, should the government decide to do so. In
January 2012 South Sudan suspended production of oil because of its
dispute with Sudan over transshipment fees. This suspension lasted
fifteen months and had a devastating impact on GDP, which declined by
48% in 2012. With the resumption of oil flows the economy rebounded
strongly during the second half of calendar year 2013. This occurred in
spite of the fact that oil production, at an average level of 222,000
barrels per day, was 40% lower compared with 2011, prior to the
shutdown. GDP is estimated to have grown by about 25% in 2014. However,
the outbreak of conflict on December 15, 2013 combined with a further
reduction of oil exports, means that GDP growth forecasts for 2014 are
being revised downwards again, and poverty and food insecurity are
rising. South Sudan holds one of the richest agricultural areas in
Africa with fertile soils and abundant water supplies. Currently the
region supports 10-20 million head of cattle. South Sudan is currently
burdened by considerable debt, accrued largely in 2012, based on rapidly
accumulating arrears, and increased military spending. South Sudan has
received more than $4 billion in foreign aid since 2005, largely from
the UK, the US, Norway, and the Netherlands. Following independence,
South Sudan's central bank issued a new currency, the South Sudanese
Pound, allowing a short grace period for turning in the old currency.
Annual inflation peaked at 79.5% in May 2012 but declined rapidly
thereafter, to 1.7% in 2013. Following the December 2013 outbreak of
violence, inflation is on the rise again. Long-term challenges include
diversifying the formal economy, alleviating poverty, maintaining
macroeconomic stability, improving tax collection and financial
management and improving the business environment.
Gross Domestic Product:
-
GDP (PPP): $23.31 billion (global rank: 139)
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GDP per capita (PPP): $2,000 (global rank: 202)
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real growth rate: -12.3% (global rank: 220)
Currency:
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currency: South Sudanese pounds (SSP)
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exchange rate (per US Dollar): 0.7489
Poverty:
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population below poverty line: 50.6%
Agricultural Products:
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sorghum, maize, rice, millet, wheat, gum
arabic, sugarcane, mangoes, papayas, bananas, sweet potatoes, sunflower
seeds, cotton, sesame seeds, cassava (manioc, tapioca), beans, peanuts;
cattle, sheep