South Sudan

At a Glance

South Sudan is the world's newest country, a vast and flat land of savanna, swamps, and the White Nile, with one of the most diverse collections of ethnic and linguistic cultures in Africa. The Dinka and Nuer peoples have traditions of cattle culture, oral history, and ceremony that are remarkable in their complexity and depth. It remains one of the most challenging destinations in the world, suited only to those with extensive experience and specific purpose.

• World's newest country, independent only since 2011.
• Descended into civil war less than three years after independence.
• Has some of the world's largest oil reserves — most of which flow through Sudan, its former parent state.