Today, South Sudan became the newest member of the United
Nations after being voted in by the UN General Assembly as its
193rd member.
The independence of South Sudan comes after decades of internal
conflict within the former Sudanese state. South Sudan's
independence follows a referendum in January 2011 in which nearly
99% of the South Sudanese electorate voted to separate from the
rest of Sudan. The separation of South Sudan leaves the Republic of
the Sudan ("Sudan") as a continuing state under
international law, albeit with reduced territory and
population.
South Sudan occupies nearly one-third of the territory of the
former Sudan. The capital and largest city of South Sudan is Juba,
and English is the official language (although many others are also
used). South Sudan borders Ethiopia in the east, Kenya in the
south-east, Uganda in the south, the Democratic Republic of Congo
in the south-west, the Central African Republic in the west, and
Sudan in the north.
