Tonj (state)

Tonj State
State
Location of Tonj State within South Sudan
Country	South Sudan
Capital	Tonj
Number of Counties	18
Number of municipalities	1
Government
• Governor	Akec Tong Aleu
Population (2014 Estimate)
• Total	448,950

Tonj State is one of the 28 states of South Sudan. It is located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it borders Wau to the west, Gbudwe to the southwest, Gogrial to the northwest, Northern Liech to the northeast, Gok and Southern Liech to the east, and Western Lakes to the south and east.

On 2 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. The decree established the new states largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society groups challenged the constitutionality of the decree. Kiir later resolved to take it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment. In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.

Tonj State comprises what was formerly Tonj North, Tonj East and Tonj South Counties. The area is so large that at one time the South Sudan government considered dividing it up into two states instead of having one Tonj State. Previously, the areas comprising Tonj State had been part of Warrap State from 2011 to 2015. The city of Tonj serves the State Capital.Akec Tong Aleu was appointed Governor on 24 December 2015. The state cabinent, consisting of seven ministers and three advisors, was approved by the state's members of parliament in March 2016.

Tonj State has two major rivers: the Jur River in the northern part of the state and the Tonj River in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Much of the land is considered suitable for agrarian activities.

The state consists of 18 counties, largest of any state in South Sudan. It also contains the municipality of Tonj. The names of the counties are:

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