Singapore celebrates Total Defence Day on February 15. It's when the nation remembers the effort needed to protect what Singaporeans now call "home". For Singaporeans, this island-nation is the place where we belong. It is our own independent country.

For millions of people in South Sudan, the idea of having their own country is rather new. South Sudan has just gained independence, making it the world's youngest country. The brand new citizens of South Sudan now have the challenge of deciding what "home" means to them.

Officials in South Sudan have grand plans to rebuild many of their cities in the shapes of animals and fruits. Juba, the region's capital, will be designed in the shape of a rhinoceros. There are also plans for a giraffe-shaped city as well as one shaped like a pineapple. This multi-billion dollar project might seem like an impossible – and impractical – dream for one of the world's poorest countries. But, many citizens think that these uniquely-shaped cities will give South Sudan an identity of its own.

"If it happened, everybody would come to see the country. It would mean we are developed," said Ochira Bosco to CNN.

Developing a distinctive identity is important for the people of this brand-new nation. They used to be part of a larger country called Sudan. But, they never felt as if they fully belonged. It was almost always the citizens of the northern half of the country that had all the power and the benefits. The south was neglected.

Now, Southern Sudanese will finally get a chance to build a nation based on their own identity and beliefs, instead of living in someone else's shadow.

However, building a nation is not as easy as it sounds. The citizens have a long and tough job ahead of them. They will have to start from the basics. For instance, they have to decide what to call their new country. Even though most people refer to the region as South Sudan or Southern Sudan, this name has not been made official as yet. Other suggestions include New Sudan, Nile Republic and Cush, after an ancient African kingdom. And, this would be just the beginning.

The country needs development
After years of warfare and being overlooked by the central government up north, even the basic facilities in South Sudan are in tatters. One in 10 children dies before turning a year old because of poor healthcare. The region still depends on food aid from other countries and most people don't have access to safe drinking water. There is also high illiteracy among the people because only one percent of children go to primary school. The new government that takes over South Sudan will, therefore, have to start from scratch by providing food, homes, education, healthcare services, job opportunities and a safe environment for its eight million citizens. There are also other issues that have to be sorted out, including deciding the borders between the two halves of Sudan.

Most importantly, the two Sudans have to settle how to share the oil wealth. Crude oil is South Sudan's most valuable natural resource. But, if it wants to export the oil, it needs to use pipelines running through the north to reach a usable seaport. When the government in the north agreed to give independence to the south, it set a condition: the south would have to share its oil. There may be quarrels over this agreement and even a small misunderstanding could trigger a war.

Citizens want to build the country
With so many problems to solve at one go, there are many who doubt that South Sudan will have a peaceful future. The citizens, however, refuse to give up hope. Thousands of Sudanese families who had left South Sudan years ago to escape war or to find jobs have come back in the past few months. Some were born elsewhere and had never seen South Sudan before. They are shocked by the conditions there. But, they are determined to stay and start new lives. It helps that some of them, like Diana Hassan, are well-educated and can help rebuild this broken country. This British-trained chemical engineer chose to return because she believes that this is home. "I left when I was very young," she told CNN. "So, I felt that it would be helpful for me to come back to be a part of the building of the society."