World Factbook
South Sudan
Republic of South Sudan
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a five-pointed gold star is in the middle of a blue isosceles triangle based on the left side meaning: black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green for the land, and blue for the Nile; the gold star represents the unity of the country's states
note 1: similar to the flag of Kenya
note 2: South Sudan has one of two national flags that display six colors as part of the primary design -- the other is South Africa's
Capital
name
Juba
etymology
the name comes from the name of a small Bari village that was located near the present-day city
time difference
UTC+2 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
04 51 N, 31 37 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of South Sudan
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
10 years
Constitution
history
previous 2005 (pre-independence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011)
amendment process
proposed by the National Legislature or by the president of the republic; passage requires submission of the proposal to the Legislature at least one month prior to consideration, approval by at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature, and assent of the president
Country name
etymology
self-descriptive name from the country's geographic position within Sudan prior to independence; the name Sudan derives from the Arabic balad-as-sudan , meaning "Land of the Black [peoples]"
conventional long form
Republic of South Sudan
conventional short form
South Sudan
Independence
9 July 2011 (from Sudan)
Government type
presidential republic
Judicial branch
note
note: in mid-2022, the Government of South Sudan inaugurated an ad-hoc judiciary committee, a 12-member body led by two eminent jurists, that is charged with reviewing relevant laws, advising on judicial reform, and restructuring the judiciary
highest court(s)
Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of a chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 5 additional justices); the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for 9, rather than 5 additional justices
subordinate courts
national level - Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level - High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals
judge selection and term of office
the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan calls for the establishment of a Judicial Service Council to recommend prospective justices to the president, and for the justices' tenures to be set by the National Legislature
Executive branch
note
note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet
National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly
chief of state
President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)
election results
2010: Salva KIIR Mayardit elected leader of then-Southern Sudan; percent of vote - Salva KIIR Mayardit (SPLM) 93%, Lam AKOL (SPLM-DC) 7%
head of government
President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011)
most recent election date
11-15 April 2010
election/appointment process
president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
expected date of next election
scheduled for 2015 but has been postponed multiple times, currently to be held in December 2026
National holiday
Independence Day, 9 July (2011)
National color(s)
red, green, blue, yellow, black, white
Political parties
Democratic Change or DC Democratic Forum or DF Labour Party or LPSS South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOA Sudan African National Union or SANU Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition or SPLM-IO United Democratic Salvation Front or UDSF United South Sudan African Party or USSAP United South Sudan Party or USSP
Legislative branch
legislature name
Législature nationale (National Legislature)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"South Sudan Oyee!" (South Sudan, Hooray!)
history
adopted 2011; anthem selected in a national contest
lyrics/music
collective/Mido SAMUEL and Juba University students
National symbol(s)
African fish eagle
Administrative divisions
10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria
note: in 2015, 28 new states were created, and 4 additional states in 2017; after the 2020 peace agreement, the country was again reorganized into the 10 original states, plus 2 administrative areas, Pibor and Ruweng, and 1 special administrative status area, Abyei (which is disputed between South Sudan and Sudan)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
Transitional National Legislative Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Tachirii)
number of seats
550 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
5/10/2021
expected date of next election
December 2026
percentage of women in chamber
32.4%
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Council of States (Al-Watani)
number of seats
100 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
8/2/2021
expected date of next election
December 2026
percentage of women in chamber
32.1%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 644-9910
chancery
1015 31st Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20007
telephone
[1] (202) 600-2238
chief of mission
Ambassador Santino Fardol Watod DICKEN (since 18 September 2024)
email address and website
info.ssdembassy@gmail.com https://www.ssembassydc.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
Kololo Road adjacent to the EU's compound, Juba
telephone
[211] 912-105-188
mailing address
4420 Juba Place, Washington DC 20521-4420
chief of mission
Ambassador Michael J. ADLER (since 24 August 2022)
email address and website
ACSJuba@state.gov https://ss.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
AU, EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO