Political Overview
Since gaining independence on July 9, 2011, South Sudan has operated under a federal presidential republic system guided initially by the Transitional Constitution of 2011, which vests executive authority in a president and vice-president and establishes a bicameral legislature of the National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States. Executive power resides with President Salva Kiir Mayardit who also serves as Commander-in-Chief while legislative functions are shared between the two houses of the Transitional National Legislature. Political life has been marked by intense power struggles, most notably between President Kiir and his former vice-president Riek Machar, leading to a civil conflict outbreak in 2013; a Revitalized Agreement signed in September 2018 created the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity to foster peace and shared governance. Despite these efforts, repeated election delays and ongoing constitutional reform debates continue to challenge South Sudan’s path toward stable, democratic governance.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
South Sudan is home to over 60 ethnic groups, with the Dinka (approximately 36 %) and the Nuer (around 16 %) as the largest, each speaking distinct languages and maintaining rich oral traditions, music, and dance. Cattle play a central role in social and economic life, symbolizing wealth, status, and communal bonds, and are featured prominently in rites of passage and marriage customs. Since independence, the Ministry of Culture, Museums, and National Heritage together with UNESCO has launched initiatives to celebrate this diversity, promote interethnic unity, and preserve indigenous art forms and narratives as foundational pillars for nation-building.
Geographical Landscape, Area, and Climate
Covering about 644 329 km², South Sudan is the world’s 41st-largest country and lies in northeastern Africa, bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, and the Central African Republic to the west. The terrain includes vast savannas, plateaus, and the swampy Al-Sudd region, through which the White Nile flows northward providing critical water resources and sustaining rich biodiversity. The climate is tropical, characterized by a wet season from April to October and a dry season from November to March, driven by the shifting intertropical convergence zone; the south receives heavy seasonal rains while the north is markedly drier.
