The county headquarters at Magwi, are located approximately 140 kilometres (87 mi), by road, southeast of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country.

The county borders one of South Sudan's most important trading partners; the Republic of Uganda.

A counter-offensive by the Sudan People's Liberation Army in October 1995 recaptured the corridor.

[6] In January 2007, an Indian peacekeeper of the United Nations Mission in Sudan was killed by unknown assailants near the town of Magwi.

[7] The 2008 Sudanese census estimated the population of Magwi county at approximately 169,830[8] Although these results were disputed by the South Sudanese authorities, they are the only recent figures available and form a basis on which newer studies can be based.