South Sudan was part of Sudan until it gained its independence in 2011, following a long war in which over 1 million people were killed, and a historic referendum. Although South Sudan was granted independence by Sudan after an overwhelming vote for independence in the referendum, relations between the two Sudans remain tense. Sudan depends on hard currency obtained from transshipping oil from South Sudan through Port Sudan on the Red Sea, while the landlocked South Sudan depends on access to that port, and the two countries have argued about terms for transshipment. There has also been some armed conflict over the oil-rich Abyei District which is ruled by Sudan but borders on South Sudan, and the Sudan People's Liberation Army - North, which fought alongside the Sudan People's Liberation Army that now rules South Sudan, continues to fight in the Sudanese provinces of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with the sympathy and, allegedly, military aid of the South Sudanese government.

South Sudan has more than 60 indigenous ethnicities. The Dinka comprise 40% of the population.

South Sudan's climate is similar to an equatorial or tropical climate, and has a rainy season of high humidity and large amounts of rainfall followed by a drier season.

• 9 January: Peace Agreement Day
• 16 May: SPLA Day
• 9 July: Independence Day
• 30 July: Martyrs' Day
• 25 December: Christmas Day

• They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan, by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak. Not exactly something to advertise South Sudan as an appealing destination, but it's a vivid and moving account of the war that preceded the country's independence.
• Warchild by Emmanuel Jal
• What is the What by Valentino Achak Deng and Dave Eggers

Visas are issued for US$100 at all border crossings and Juba International Airport. The length of the visas issued seems to vary randomly between 1 and 6 months. An invitation letter may be required depending on which official is at the desk on your day of arrival. The process can take 3 hours. If you do not have a local contact with official connections, it would be safer to get a visa before arriving in the country. Visas are now available from the embassy in London for UK₤50 cash and typically take 5 working days to process. The embassy in Nairobi is also a popular place to get a visa.

Once in South Sudan, foreign visitors must register their presence in the country within 72 hours of arrival. Visitors must do this in person.

As of April 2024, you can apply for e-visa on this website: https://evisa.gov.ss/. Single entry visa is 100 USD, three months multiple entry visa is 300 USD and six months multiple entry visa 350 USD. Make sure you have your Yellow Fever Vaccine card with you.

Until June 2022, there are no direct commercial flights from outside Africa, with the exception of service from Dubai on flydubai. Turkish Airlines expect to operate 3 flights per week from June 2022. Changing planes is necessary; most airlines flying into Juba depart from Cairo (Egypt), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Entebbe (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya) and Khartoum (Sudan) from where you should be able to manage flights to and from Europe, Asia or the Americas.

Be careful on taking photos in the airport as this is actually not allowed but an increasing number of people are observed to take photos at the airport these days.

Overland crossing from Sudan to South Sudan was closed from the latter's secession in 2011; Sudanese leaders have announced plans to re-open the border in 2016.

As of April 2024, crossing from Uganda to South Sudan is possible. The Renk crossing for Sudan to South Sudan is also flooded with refugees and returnees fleeing from Sudan.

A bus can be taken from Kampala to Juba.

There is one railway line in South Sudan that enters from Sudan in the north and terminates at Wau. Before independence there were services between Wau and Babanosa, which had rail connections to Khartoum. As of 2014, however, there are no scheduled passenger services; indeed, the entire Sudanese rail network has come to a halt. Sporadic and non-scheduled trains may, however, still run, so you can try contacting the Sudan Railways Corporation for more information.

Roads are unpaved, and during the rainy season from July to October and November, they often become impassable. Infrastructure is non-existent,

The currency of the country is the South Sudanese pound (ISO currency code: SSP). It is divided into 100 piasters. The official rate or "bank exchange rate" (above) is what you would see on sites like Oanda and mataf.net. In December 2023, the black market exchange rate was reported to be SSP1085 for one US dollar. As of April 2024, 1 USD to SSP in the "black market" is 2400 SSP. You can exchange your money by paying in USD at supermarkets like Juba Mall, Lily's, and Phoenicia. They will ask you if you want your change to be in USD or SSP. There are also money changers that line some streets with stacks of SSPs but be wary of them.

Coins in South Sudan come in denominations of 10-, 20 and 50 piasters, 1 and 2 South Sudanese pounds. Banknotes in South Sudan come in denominations of 5-, 10 and 25 piasters, 1-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 500 and 1,000 South Sudanese pounds.

You can withdraw money with a Visa card or Mastercard in any of the Ecobank or Equity bank ATMs in South Sudan.

Souvenirs:

• Maasai Market. The Maasai Market is a souvenir place but the items sold here are souvenirs from Kenya and Uganda, not from Juba.
• Shea butter. You can buy unprocessed shea butter from the market or from Lulu Life Shea Butter (https://www.lululife-sheabutter.com/%5Bdead+link%5D) in their physical store in Juba or at Phoenicia.

South Sudan has very strict photography laws. For any kind of photography, you are required to obtain a photography permit from the Ministry of Interior.

Be very mindful of what you take pictures of, and do not take photos randomly; foreign tourists have been arrested and physically assaulted by South Sudanese law enforcement for simply taking photographs.

To err on the side of safety, keep the following in mind:

• Never take a photograph of a South Sudanese person without their explicit permission.

• Never take photographs of government buildings, vehicles, military personnel, or law enforcement personnel.

• Never take photographs of airports, bridges, or gas stations.

South Sudan is one of the most unstable, lawless, and corrupt countries in the world. Many scholars regard South Sudan as a kleptocracy.

Do not expect the South Sudanese police to help you or solve your problems in the event you run into any kind of difficulties during your stay; the South Sudanese police are extremely corrupt and are written off as hapless, abusive, and ineffective.

Low salaries are the main reason why there's a high level of corruption among the police force. As a foreigner, you may attract unwanted attention from corrupt officials.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times, and keep your emotions under control; getting into a fight with corrupt, abusive officials or the wrong person in a country far away from home is not something you (or anyone) would want to do.

As tempting as it may be to write about South Sudan, it is illegal to report on the country without permission from the South Sudanese Media Authority.