South Sudan is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa. Formerly a breakaway region of Sudan, it became an independent country on 9 July 2011 after a referendum, passed with the staggering majority, which was held in January that year. It borders Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. Its capital city is Juba.  Although the decision was reached peacefully, after more than 50 years of ethno-religious conflict, South Sudan has suffered considerable internal turmoil since the declaration of its independence and as of 2016 it has the second highest score on the Fragile States Index.                                                                                                                                                    The country uses the South Sudanese pound as currency.