Nuerland

Nuerland is the indigenous homeland and traditional territory of the Nuer people, lying largely within South Sudan between about 7 and 10 degrees north and 29 and 32 degrees east. It takes in parts of Upper Nile State, Jonglei State and Unity State and surrounding areas, and is marked by swamps, savannah and higher ground. The Nuer are a Nilotic people who live mainly by pastoralism, with cattle central to their economy, social organisation and culture. Seasonal flooding shapes a semi-nomadic way of life, as people move between higher ground and swampy areas with the dry and wet seasons. The Nuer have had complex relations with neighbours such as the Dinka and Shilluk and with colonial authorities, often marked by conflict and competition over resources. It is also nicknamed the True Savannah.