South Sudan is widely considered the youngest country in the world. It declared independence on July 9, 2011, becoming Africa's 54th nation.
South Sudan: A Nation at a Crossroads
While achieving independence was a moment of great hope, South Sudan has faced significant challenges since its formation. Multiple sources, including the UN (https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/june-2024/south-sudan-world%E2%80%99s-youngest-nation-crossroads), UNDP (https://www.undp.org/blog/south-sudan-worlds-youngest-nation-crossroads), and the World Bank (https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/southsudan/overview), highlight the ongoing humanitarian crises and political instability the country has endured. Despite these hardships, South Sudan remains the newest internationally recognized country (https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-the-newest-country-in-the-world).
Other countries, such as Kosovo and Timor-Leste, also gained independence in recent decades and are often included in lists of the youngest countries (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/these-are-the-5-youngest-countries-in-the-world, https://guides.library.illinois.edu/timor-leste/overview). However, South Sudan's 2011 independence date generally secures its position as the youngest.
While some sources discuss the youngest populations, focusing on median age (https://www.statista.com/chart/32836/youngest-countries-territories-by-median-age, https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/05/the-world-s-10-youngest-countries-are-all-in-africa/), this is a different metric from the date of independence which defines the youngest country.
