 | This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is: complete information, such as map and current cities, reflecting the re-establishment of state is missing. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2022) |
Unity State Western Upper Nile | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location in South Sudan (2011–2015 boundaries) | |
| Coordinates:09°00′N29°42′E / 9.000°N 29.700°E /9.000; 29.700 | |
| Country |  South Sudan |
| Region | Greater Upper Nile |
| No. of counties: | 9 |
| Capital | Bentiu |
| Government | |
| • Type | State |
| • Governor | HE.Major Gen. Justice Riek Bim Top Long[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 37,836.39 km2 (14,608.71 sq mi) |
| Population (2014 estimate) | |
• Total | 824,700 |
| • Density | 21.80/km2 (56.45/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
| ISO 3166 code | SS-UY |
| HDI (2021) | 0.344[2] low ·7th of 10 |
Unity State, also known asWestern Upper Nile,[3] is astate inSouth Sudan. Unity State is in theGreater Upper Nile region. Unity is inhabited predominantly by two ethnic groups: theNuer majority, and theDinka minority.
In 2015, a presidential decree established a new system of 28 states, replacing the previously established 10. Unity State was replaced by the states ofRuweng,Northern Liech andSouthern Liech.[4] Unity State was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 February 2020 with smaller boundaries as the northern part of the former state became theRuweng Administrative Area.[5]
The capital of Unity state isBentiu. Before an administrative reorganization in 1994, Unity was part of a much larger province of Upper Nile, and the state was sometimes called Western Upper Nile.
The counties of Unity are:
Large towns in Unity includeBentiu,Mayom,Rubkona andLeer.
Other towns includeRiangnom,Rub-Koni,Yoahnyang,Tam,Mankien,Wang-Kay,Koch,Nyal andGanyliel.[6]
Agriculture is the state's primary economic activity. Many people of the state arenomadic agro-pastoralists who engage in both agriculture and rearing of livestock, especially cattle. Farming is primarily conducted during the rainy season, although some cultivation also occurs during summer. Vegetables are not widely cultivated, as most farmers are rural rather than urban, and therefore lack access to markets for their produce. Some NGOs have introduced farmers to the practice of cultivation for market.
Southern Sudan's firstoil reserves were discovered in the area during the 1970s. The international oil companies which engaged in oil exploration contributed to the massive displacement of the indigenous population.[7]
Oilfields in the state include theUnity oilfield and most ofBlock 5A. The Unity oilfield is within the largest hydrocarbon accumulation in theMuglad rift basin and contains an estimated 150,000,000 barrels (24,000,000 m3) of oil.[8]
TheGreater Nile Oil Pipeline begins in the Unity oilfield.
| South Sudan political divisions | |||||
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| Bahr el Ghazal |
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| Equatoria |
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| Greater Upper Nile |
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