South Sudan

One of the world's newest countries, the eastern African nation of South Sudan officially declared its independence on July 9, 2011. After decades of civil war between the government of Sudan and the rebel forces in the south, a United Nations – brokered agreement called for a resolution of the issue through a referendum that was held in the region in January 2011. More than 99% of the population in South Sudan voted for independence.

One of the main issues in the South Sudanese independence movement was religion. The northern part of Sudan is dominantly Muslim; South Sudan is a mixture of Christianity and traditional African religion. South Sudan is primarily a rural, tribal society that practices the customs and beliefs of its traditions, which are ...