Location:
East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 644,329 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: NA
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: NA
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 43

Area - comparative:
more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas
Area comparison map: more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 6,018 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (6): Central African Republic 1,055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1,299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2,158 km, Uganda 475 km
note: South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north
More Climate Details

Terrain:
plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country

Elevation:
mean elevation: NA
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: White Nile 381 m highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver

Land use:
agricultural land: 100% arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 100%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 0%
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1,000 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile

Geography - note:
landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, comprising more than 15% of the country's total area; it is one of the world's largest wetlands