Google adds South Sudan on maps

About South Sudan---
Google the world's number one online search engine has updated its maps to include the newly independent Eastern African nation of South Sudan.  

This latest development comes after a campaign by a South Sudanese journalist, who posted an online petition calling for the new country to be separately included on online maps.

John Tanza Mabusu, a Washington, DC-based South Sudanese journalist working with VOA launched a petition on change.com which saw 1,600 people backing it. 

Mr.Mabusu was still surprised that his home country was missing on all online maps despite attaining independence last July and wining recognition as sovereign state.

"The inclusion of South Sudan will give the people of that new nation pride and a sense of belonging, as citizens of a sovereign nation on the map," asserted Mabusu.

"I'm hoping that now that Google has officially recognised South Sudan on their maps, the other major online mapping services will quickly follow suit."

National Geographic said its print maps and mobile apps had been updated, but its online mapping service was outsourced to the Bing maps website, which uses Microsoft maps.

Bing's map of Sudan does not yet have the Sudanese border marked, although its information on the South's capital city of Juba clearly indicates it is part of South Sudan. Yahoo either does not have the map.

However, It still remains unclear whether Google's amendment to the Sudan map came as a result of the online campaign.

South Sudan declared independent in the year 2011

Juba, South Sudan,
July 9th, 2011.
..."We, the democratically elected representatives of the people ... hereby declare Southern Sudan to be an independent and sovereign state," said James Wani Igga, the speaker of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly before Sudan's flag was lowered, the South Sudan flag was raised and the new anthem sung. Kiir took the oath of office and this marked the beginning of a new chapter in South Sudanese history.