South Sudan vs. Central African Republic
Geography
| South Sudan | Central African Republic | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 30 00 E | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 644,329 sq km land: NA water: NA | total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas | slightly smaller than Texas; about four times the size of Georgia |
| Land boundaries | total: 6,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 1055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2158 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 | total: 5,920 km border countries (6): Cameroon 901 km, Chad 1556 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1747 km, Republic of the Congo 487 km, South Sudan 1055 km, Sudan 174 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | 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 | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| 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 | vast, flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m lowest point: White Nile 381 m | highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,410 m lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m mean elevation: 635 m |
| Natural resources | hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 45% (2018) arable land: 4.4% (2018) permanent pasture: 40.7% (2018) forest: 11.3% (2018) other: 43.5% (2018) | agricultural land: 8.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.1% (2018 est.) forest: 36.2% (2018 est.) other: 55.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,000 sq km (2012) | 10 sq km (2012) |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife conservation and loss of biodiversity; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought | water pollution; tap water is not potable; poaching and mismanagement have diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation; soil erosion |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note | landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa |
| Total renewable water resources | 49.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 141 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile as shown in this population distribution map | majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country, especially in and around the capital of Bangui as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
