South Sudan: the capital, the state structure, the population

This is a young and very peculiar state of Africa. Think about it: it only has 30 km of asphalt roads and about 250 km of railroad tracks. And they are not in the best condition. Even the capital of Southern Sudan has no running water. However, its inhabitants do not lose heart and look to the future with hope, expecting only the best from it.

General information

• The full name is the Republic of South Sudan.
• The country's area is 620,000 sq km.
• The capital of Southern Sudan is the city of Juba.
• The population is 11.8 million people (as of July 2014).
• The population density is 19 people per square kilometer. Km.
• The official language is English.
• The currency is the South Sudanese pound.
• The difference in time with Moscow is minus 1 hour.

Geographical position

Southern Sudan is the youngest state in modern Africa. Only in the summer of 2011 it gained independence from the Sudan and thus acquired a new status. South Sudan is located in East Africa. He does not have access to the sea. The north and the center of the country occupy the plains, and in the south stretches the uplands. The main geographical feature of this hot African country is that a river flows through its entire territory. This is one of the tributaries of the Nile - the White Nile. This is what gives a very good potential for the development of agriculture and livestock. South Sudan is bordered by Kenya and Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Congo, the Central African Republic.

Climate

The country is geographically located in the zone of the subequatorial climatic zone. Hence follows the characteristics of its weather conditions. It's hot all year round. Seasons differ from each other only in the amount of precipitation. Winter period is shorter. It is characterized by a low amount of precipitation. Summer is more rainy. In the north of the country, the annual rainfall is 700 mm, while in the south and south-west these figures are 2 times larger - 1,400 mm. During the summer monsoon rains, rivers and swampy areas, located in the central part of the republic , feed.

Flora and fauna

It can be safely said that South Sudan is a country that is relatively lucky with natural conditions. After all through all its territory the river flows, giving the chance to exist to plants and animals. There are a lot of trees and shrubs in the country. South of the state is occupied by tropical monsoon forests. In the extreme south stretched equatorial. The Central African Highlands and the Ethiopian Range are covered with mountain forests. Along the river bed - gallery foci and bushes. The leadership of the state is trying to preserve the natural wealth of its country. It was the nature protection that the president designated as one of the most important directions of domestic policy. There are many protected areas and reserves here. Through the southern Sudan, the migration routes of wild animals lie. Nature created ideal conditions for populating these places with elephants, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, African antelopes and other fauna.

Population

Residents of the Republic of South Sudan exist in very difficult conditions. To an old age, more precisely, up to the age of 65 years, almost practically live out, only 2%. The percentage of child mortality is very high. This is due to a variety of reasons. Low living standards, low-quality food, lack of potable water, poorly developed medicine, frequent infection from sick animals - all this leads to the development of infectious diseases in the state of Southern Sudan. The population of the country is just over 11 million people. Agree, this is a bit. And even despite the high mortality and active migration, the population growth rate remains high. The reason for this - a good birth rate. The average number of children in each woman in the country is 5 or 4. The ethnic composition is rather complicated: more than 570 different ethnic groups and nationalities live here, most of them black Africans. The main religion is Christianity, although the importance of local African beliefs is great. The official language is one - English, but Arabic is very common. The bulk of the population lives in rural areas, in villages. Residents of cities make up only 19% of the total population. The level of literacy, too, leaves much to be desired - 27%. Among men this percentage is 40%, women - only 16%.

Political structure

Now Southern Sudan is an independent independent state. This status was given to the country after July 9, 2011, when it left the Sudan. The country is headed by the president, who is both the head of the republic and the head of government. He is elected for 4 years. The country's parliament is bicameral, consisting of the Council of States and the National Legislative Assembly. There are 3 political parties in the parliament. Territorial division: the State of Southern Sudan consists of 10 states that used to be provinces. Each of them has its own constitution and governing bodies.

Flag

It is an alternation of bands - black, white, red, white and green. In the left part - a blue triangle with a star. What does the flag symbolize? Black color speaks of a black nation. White is a symbol of freedom, which the people have long wanted to find. Red is the color of blood shed by millions in the struggle for their independence. Green is a symbol of the fertility of lands, wealth of flora and fauna of Southern Sudan. The blue color symbolizes the waters of the White Nile River, which gives life to this country. The star on the flag of the state speaks of the integrity of its individual 10 states. The idea of such a state symbol is as follows: Black Africans inhabiting southern Sudan have come together in a complex struggle for peace and prosperity for all the inhabitants of their country.

Coat of arms

Another distinctive sign of the state is also very symbolic. The coat of arms depicts a bird with open wings. Namely the bird secretary. This representative of the genus of birds lives on the African meadows and savannahs, it has a special endurance. For a long time he hunts down and attacks his prey (small lizards, snakes and even young gazelles), walking. The secretary bird is respected by many African peoples. Its image is present on the presidential flag, the state seal, on military badges. On the coat of arms, its head is turned to the right, a characteristic crest is visible in the profile. Above the image there is a banner with the inscription "Victory for us", below is another one with the name of the state "Republic of Sudan". In the paws of the bird shield. On the edge of the arms once again the full name of the state is indicated.

History of development of the state

In the modern territory of Southern Sudan during the colonization of Africa, there was no state as such. Here lived only individual tribes, which peacefully existed with each other. They represented different nationalities, who lived well together. When the European states, first of all the Great Britain, began to aggressively attack new lands, subjecting them to colonization, the peace of local residents was violated. The colonialists seize territory in order to seize their resources. Southern Sudan was no exception.

Europeans were interested in both slaves, and gold, wood, ivory. The first such invasions began in 1820-1821, and the invaders were Turkish-Egyptian troops. As a result of these raids, millions of people became slaves in neighboring Arab countries. For more than 60 years, the Turkish-Egyptian regime existed on the territory of the Sudan. Then power passed to the Ottoman Empire. After its disintegration, Egypt and Britain conspired to seize Sudan, dividing it into north and south. And only since 1956 Sudan has become independent, having different administrative structures for the north and south. Since that time, civil clashes began in the country.

Historians and political scientists believe that in the north of the country the colonialists developed social and economic life sectors, while they did not engage in the south, leaving everything to Christian missionaries. For the north and south, there were various development programs, a visa regime was introduced to cross borders, residents of Southern Sudan were forbidden to contact foreigners. All this only increased social inequality, not bringing the desired socio-economic development. Then the British colonialists changed their policy, starting a "unifying" mission. However, it was against the southerners. In fact, the British, united with the elite of the north, dictated the living conditions of the people of the south. South Sudan remained without political and economic power.

In 1955 an uprising broke out against the invaders. This civil war lasted 17 years. As a result, in 1972 an agreement was signed that gave some freedom to the Republic of South Sudan. Independence, however, largely remained only on paper. The violent Islamization, enslavement, massacres, executions and complete stagnation in social and economic life continued. Real changes occurred in 2005, when another peace agreement was signed in Nairobi, Kenya. It stipulated that Southern Sudan receives a new Constitution, a certain autonomy and self-government. On July 9, 2005, the leader of the liberation movement of blacks Dr. Garang became the first vice-president of the Republic of Sudan. The agreement defined the term, 6 years, after which the republic can hold a referendum on self-determination. And on July 9, 2011, a popular vote passed, in which 98% of the inhabitants of Southern Sudan voted for the sovereignty of the state. Since that time a new stage in the life of the country has begun.

Foreign policy

After the referendum and independence, South Sudan gained sovereignty. Surprisingly, the first state that officially recognized this was her northern neighbor. At present, almost all the powers of the world have recognized the new state, including Russia. Foreign policy is oriented to the neighboring African countries, as well as to Great Britain. Interaction with Northern Sudan remains extremely difficult due to a large number of disputed economic and territorial issues. But many international organizations successfully cooperate with the new state. For example, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Union, the International Olympic Committee, the United Nations. He was recognized by all members of the G8 and the BRICS countries.

Economy

South Sudan and northern Sudan have fought each other for too long. It did not have a positive impact on the economy of the country. Although there are more than enough problems in the national economy, Southern Sudan has a huge potential. The country is rich in resources. This is primarily oil. The budget of Sudan is 98% filled with revenues from the sale of black gold. The presence of the river makes it possible to obtain cheap hydropower for the development of industry. There are many other minerals - copper, zinc, tungsten, gold and silver. The lack of transport routes, lack of electricity, poor quality of drinking water, destroyed infrastructure - all this hinders the development of the economy. However, the country does not have an external debt, the level of income exceeds expenditures. That's why Sudan is considered a country with high potential. In agriculture, cotton, sugar cane, peanuts, papayas, mangoes, bananas, sesame and wheat are grown. Livestock breeding is based on the breeding of camels and sheep.

Healthcare

This social sphere is very poorly developed. Low level of infrastructure and literacy contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. Epidemics of malaria and cholera, black fever flare up every now and then. In the country - one of the highest worldwide indicators of HIV infection. Here there are strange diseases, which are nowhere else in the world, for example, nodatory fever.

sights

The cities of Southern Sudan can not boast of anything unusual. The main attraction of the country is its most beautiful and unique nature. She is in a virgin, untouched condition. Here you can enjoy the views of the savannah and its inhabitants. This is a paradise for lovers of safaris. In the National Park on the border with the Congo and in the National Park of Boma you can see wild animals - giraffes, lions, antelopes - in their natural habitat.

Big cities

The capital of the republic is the largest city in it. The population of Juba is about 372 thousand people. Other large cities - Vau, where 110 thousand reside, Malakai - 95 thousand, Eu - 62 thousand, Uvail - 49 thousand. As already noted, this is mostly a rural country, only 19% of the population lives in cities. However, the government plans to move the capital to Ramsel. Juba is still the main city. South Sudan announced the construction of a new administrative capital district in the center of the country.