Juba along the banks of the White Nile in the southern portion of the country is South Sudan's capital and most populous city.
An aerial view of Juba, the capital city of South Sudan.
South Sudan is known because of its rich reserve of oil deposits which is an important economic resource. The country is among the landlocked countries in East central Africa, bordered to the east by Ethiopia, to the west by the Central African Republic, to the south by Uganda, to the north by Sudan, to the south-east by Kenya and to the south west by the Democratic Republic of Congo. It covers an area of 619,745 km2 with a population of almost 8 million people. The country suffered from ravages of war and adversely affecting infrastructure, a loss of 2 million lives, and approximately 4 million internally displaced persons.
Juba is the capital city of South Sudan and also the largest city in the country with a population of 492,970 people. It is governed by a city council under the leadership of a mayor, which was formed in March 2011. The city has its origins in 1922 when it was established by Greek traders who were suppliers of the British Army, and some of the buildings today reflect the Greek architecture and their influence in the region. The city has experienced economic growth in the past few years attracting traders, merchants, and investors from different neighboring countries and abroad. Most of the financial institutions also have established their branches in Juba. Infrastructure in juba suffered a great deal from the effects of war which damaged the roads and river harbors. Despite efforts by the South Sudanese government to restore the infrastructure, roads may take a longer period before they are fully restored again.
Malakal is the second largest city in South Sudan and has a population of 147,450 people. It is located to the in Malakal County which is on the banks of the famous White Nile. Malakal has a history as a site for several battles between the government and the Nuer white army which destroyed the city. Malakal has several amenities such as the Malakal stadium, the White Nile River, the upper Nile University and a few branches of financial institutions.
Yei is an average sized city with a large population of 260,720 people. It is located in the southwest of southern Sudan close to the international borders of the republic of Uganda and Congo. This strategic location has made Yei an important business hub attracting traders from the three countries. The road network between the countries is undergoing repairs with only one road linking Yei and Kaya being fully repaired. The city is home to Yei Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Aweil is located to the northwestern part of South Sudan with a population of 33,537 people. Compared to other cities in the country, Aweil has a better-developed infrastructure and this is evident in the functioning railway station, hotels, airport, public hospital, and soccer stadium. Aweil stands out as one of the most peaceable states within South Sudan which has contributed to its economic and social vibrancy.
About 22% of the population in the country lives in urban areas while the rest 78% live in rural areas as peasant and subsistence farmers. Although the country is endowed with rich natural recourses like oil, Gold, diamonds and other minerals, the country remains one of the poorest countries in Africa. South Sudan has the second worst literacy rate in the world of only 27% of the total population. This implies that only 27% of the total population of above 15 can read and write.