South Sudan 🇸🇸
South Sudan is a country in Africa with a population of 10,913,164. Its capital is Juba. The official currency is SSP, and the main languages are English.
Quick facts
- Capital: Juba
- Continent: Africa
- Population: 10,913,164
- Area: 644,329 km²
- Density: 16.9 people per km²
- Currency: SSP
- Languages: English
- ISO code: SS
Where South Sudan sits
South Sudan 🇸🇸 is one of 54 countries in Africa, with its capital at Juba. It covers 644,329 square kilometres — 41st in the world — and is home to about 10,913,164 people, 86th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How South Sudan compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, South Sudan sits closest to Cuba and Dominican Republic. In land area, its nearest counterparts are France and Somalia.
At 16.9 people per square kilometre it is about 3.5 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
English is an official language in 58 countries here, among them Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas and Barbados, and 53 others. The SSP is used by South Sudan and no one else.
To see South Sudan next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember South Sudan
Juba, the capital and largest city, lies on the White Nile. South Sudan is the youngest country on the map: it became independent on 9 July 2011, so think 'J for Juba, J for July'.
The flag of South Sudan: black, red, green, white, blue and gold
🇸🇸 The flag is three horizontal stripes of black, red and green, with the red stripe edged in white, and a blue triangle on the left holding a gold star. Black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green for the land and blue for the River Nile. The gold star stands for the unity of the country's states.
Region and neighbours
South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Africa, crossed from south to north by the White Nile. It shares land borders with 6 countries: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic. South Sudan is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- Sudan 🇸🇩 — capital Khartoum
- Ethiopia 🇪🇹 — capital Addis Ababa
- Kenya 🇰🇪 — capital Nairobi
- Uganda 🇺🇬 — capital Kampala
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 🇨🇩 — capital Kinshasa
- Central African Republic 🇨🇫 — capital Bangui
Three facts about South Sudan
- South Sudan is the most recent country to gain wide recognition as an independent state.
- The Sudd, a huge swamp formed by the White Nile, is one of the largest wetlands in the world.
- Bandingilo National Park hosts the second-largest wildlife migration in the world.
Sources: Wikipedia: South Sudan, Wikipedia: Flag of South Sudan, Wikipedia: Juba, Wikipedia: Sudd, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on South Sudan
- African capitals quiz — match South Sudan to Juba
- African flags quiz — spot the South Sudan flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — South Sudan has no sea coast
Quizzes that include South Sudan
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For South Sudan those are:
- Africa map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Africa flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Africa capitals quiz — match it to Juba
- South Sudan capital quiz — five quick questions starting with South Sudan
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about South Sudan
- Capital of South Sudan: Juba — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 54 countries of Africa
Nearby countries
- Algeria 🇩🇿 — capital Algiers
- Angola 🇦🇴 — capital Luanda
- Benin 🇧🇯 — capital Porto-Novo
- Botswana 🇧🇼 — capital Gaborone
- Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 — capital Ouagadougou
- Burundi 🇧🇮 — capital Gitega
- Cabo Verde 🇨🇻 — capital Praia
- Cameroon 🇨🇲 — capital Yaoundé
- Central African Republic 🇨🇫 — capital Bangui
- Chad 🇹🇩 — capital N'Djamena
- Comoros 🇰🇲 — capital Moroni
- Congo 🇨🇬 — capital Brazzaville
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the South Sudan flag?
The flag of South Sudan is three horizontal stripes of black, red and green, with the red stripe edged in white, and a blue triangle on the left holding a gold star. Black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green for the land and blue for the River Nile. The gold star stands for the unity of the country's states.
Which countries border South Sudan?
South Sudan shares land borders with Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic.
How can I remember the capital of South Sudan?
Juba, the capital and largest city, lies on the White Nile. South Sudan is the youngest country on the map: it became independent on 9 July 2011, so think 'J for Juba, J for July'.