Capital: JUBA (capital) 250,000 (2008 est.)

Population: 10,625,176 (July 2012 est.)

People Groups: Dinka, Kakwa, Bari, Azande, Shilluk, Kuku, Murle, Mandari, Didinga, Ndogo, Bviri, Lndi, Anuak, Bongo, Lango, Dungotona, Acholi

Languages: English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants) (official), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk

Religions: animist, Christian

Government: Type Republic

Executive—chief of state: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); Vice President Riek MACHAR (since 10 July 2011); note – the president is both chief of state and head of government

cabinet: National Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and approved by a resolution from the Legislative Assembly

Legislative—bicameral National Legislature consists of the National Legislative Assembly (332 seats) and the Council of States (50 seats);

Judicial – Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, High Courts, County Courts

Living Conditions: South Sudan is one of Africa’s least developed countries, with few paved roads and poor health and educational outcomes. health; Infant mortality 71.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.), HIV/AIDS 3.2% Literacy 27% (40%male, 16% female) Most people are subsistence farmers but the main national income is from oil which is one cause of conflict with the north. Infrastructure is poor.

History: Egypt attempted to colonize the region of southern Sudan by establishing the province of Equatoria in the 1870s. Islamic Mahdist revolutionaries overran the region in 1885, but in 1898 a British force was able to overthrow the Mahdist regime. An Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was established the following year with Equatoria being the southernmost of its eight provinces. The isolated region was largely left to itself over the following decades, but Christian missionaries converted much of the population and facilitated the spread of English. When Sudan gained its independence in 1956, it was with the understanding that the southerners would be able to participate fully in the political system. When the Arab Khartoum government reneged on its promises, a mutiny began that led to two prolonged periods of conflict (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) in which perhaps 2.5 million people died – mostly civilians – due to starvation and drought. Ongoing peace talks finally resulted in a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in January 2005. As part of this agreement the south was granted a six-year period of autonomy to be followed by a referendum on final status. The result of this referendum, held in January 2011, was a vote of 98% in favor of secession. Independence was attained on 9 July 2011, but analysts say corruption is already one of its biggest problems. President Salva Kiir sent a letter to the current and ex-government employees, asking them to return at least $4bn (£2.6bn) of stolen money

Pray for:

• South Sudan’s security against attacks from the Islamic north.

• Identification of the Men of Peace.

• The safety of the large number of Christians trapped in the north.

• Wisdom in strategizing the CPM initiative into the nation

• Suitable labourers to go into the spiritual harvest field.