There is a new country in Africa today: the Republic of South Sudan. Last January the majority of the population of the Southern provinces of Sudan decided on the independence from Sudan in a referendum. The independence of the country will become official today. South Sudan is located in the East of Africa, its capital city is Juba and its population is around 9 million inhabitants. The country is born with a lot of problems: 90% of its population are illiterate, there are only 20 kilometres of asphalted roads in the whole country and violence persists in some regions. There are armed militias that continue to fight in the country and in two regions in dispute with Sudan: Abyei and South Kurdufan, the richest areas in oil resources. Oil control will be one of the most important issues in the future of all the region. It could be a possibility of getting economic resources to finance the developement of the country, but it can also be a source of conflicts.
Here you have some links to learn more about South Sudan:
- South Sudan profile on the BBC News website:
- A comparison between Sudan and South Sudan on the BBC News website:
- Symbols of the new country:
