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Juba

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan.

Sudan Juba Hotel 1936
Sudan Juba Hotel 1936

It sits right on the banks of the White Nile river. This location makes it a river port for the region. The city is also the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital in the area. Many people live in the city and its many suburbs. In 2017, the population was 525,953 people.

Sudan Juba bridge
Sudan Juba bridge

The city has grown very fast over the last few years.

Building the city happened in several different steps. It started as a small Bari village called Juba. In 1920 and 1921, the Church Missionary Society established a mission there. Later, officials chose the site because it was near river transport. They wanted a place to build a new town for the Mongalla Province. By 1927, major construction was already moving forward. Traders from Rejaf moved to the new city in 1929. The Governor's office moved there in 1930 to lead the province.

History shows that many different people helped shape Juba. Greek merchants played a very central role in the early 1920s. They built many structures in the downtown Juba Market area. Some of these buildings are still standing today. They built the Juba Hotel in the mid-1930s. They also built the Central Bank building in the mid-1940s. Even the old Sudan Airways Building was made by Greeks. These merchants had a good relationship with the native Bari people.

Juba has seen many big changes through the years. It was once a small garrison for the Egyptian army. Explorers like Samuel and Florence Baker used a nearby island as a base. The city became the capital of South Sudan in 2011. This happened after the country gained its independence. Now, there are plans to move the capital to Ramciel. This new capital would be about 250 km away from Juba. The government announced this move in September 2011.

Traveling in and out of Juba can be a big job. The city has an international airport for planes. These flights connect Juba to places like Nairobi and Addis Ababa. The roads are often unpaved and can be hard to use. A long rainy season lasts from March until October. This rain makes it very difficult to fix the roads. Many people are working to repair the paths to Uganda. These roads help people return to their homes and live normal lives.

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File:Sudan Juba Hotel 1936.jpg
Sudan Juba Hotel 1936.jpg
File:Sudan Juba bridge.jpg
Sudan Juba bridge.jpg
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