South Sudan is a country located in North Central Africa. The country borders Ethiopia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, and Kenya. Industry and infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan are severely underdeveloped and poverty is widespread, following several decades of civil war with the north. South Sudan has a population of 11,1 million people. The country remains a poor country because of the internal strife that resulted in its formation. Subsistence agriculture provides a living for the vast majority of the population. Property rights are tentative and price signals are missing because markets are not well organized. South Sudan has little hard infrastructure. Electricity is produced mostly by costly diesel generators and running water is scarce in areas further from the Nile river. The government spends large sums of money to maintain a large army; delays in paying salaries have resulted in riots by unruly soldiers. Ethnic conflicts have resulted in a large number of civilian deaths and displacement. South Sudan depends largely on imports of goods, services, and capital from the north. Despite these disadvantages, South Sudan does have abundant natural resources. South Sudan produces nearly three-fourths of former Sudan’s total oil output of nearly 178 000 barrels per day, by 2021 the aim is to produce 350 000 barrels per day. The government of South Sudan derives nearly 98% of its budget revenues from oil. The economy of South Sudan undoubtedly will remain linked to Sudan for some time, given the long lead time and great expense required to build another pipeline. South Sudan holds one of the richest agricultural areas in Africa in the White Nile valley, which has fertile soils and abundant water supplies. Currently, the region supports 10-20 million head of cattle. South Sudan also contains large wildlife herds, which could be exploited in the future to attract eco-tourists. The White Nile has sufficient flow to generate large quantities of hydroelectricity. South Sudan does not have large external debt or structural trade deficits. South Sudan has received more than $4 billion in foreign aid since 2005, largely from the UK, US, Norway, and the Netherlands, but Khartoum has imposed blockades on goods and capital going to South Sudan. The World Bank plans to support investment in infrastructure, agriculture, and power generation. Following independence, South Sudan’s central bank issued a new currency, the South Sudanese Pound, allowing a short grace period for turning in the old currency. Long term problems include alleviating poverty, maintaining macroeconomic stability, improving tax collection and financial management, focusing resources on speeding growth, and improving the business environment. In terms of politics and governance, the country requires stability at this level. The South Sudanese civil war that has been ongoing from 2013 is a deterrent to development in the country and more than 4 million people have been displaced.