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.

Development Challenges Facing South Sudan after Independence

South Sudan, the world’s newest country, has some of the worst development indicators on the planet, a senior United Nations official said today, pledging the Organization’s assistance to help the nation achieve its main goals in the aftermath of independence.

Lise Grande, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, told an international meeting in Geneva that the UN Country Team will align with the new Government’s priorities in four areas: humanitarian action, stabilization and protection, social progress and justice, and State take-off and accountability.
Ms. Grande told the meeting, organized by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), that the South Sudanese population of an estimated 9 million people is overwhelmingly young, rural, poor and uneducated.
Only about four per cent of arable land in South Sudan – whose territory is close to that of France, Afghanistan or Kenya – is cultivated and just one per cent of households have a bank account, she said.

Half the population does not have access to safe drinking water and it is estimated that only one person in five uses a health-care facility in their lifetime, according to Ms. Grande, who noted also that fewer than 10 per cent of children finish primary school.
“A 15-year-old girl living in South Sudan has a higher chance of dying in childbirth than completing school,” she said.
But Ms. Grande noted that South Sudan has also made substantial progress since 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.
Multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections were held last year for the first time, a police service, a prison service and a judiciary have been established and more than 6,000 kilometres of road have been upgraded, linking key cities and towns.
She added that primary school enrolment has quadrupled, infection rates from Guinea worm have slumped by more than 90 per cent and the country is now considered polio free.
Ms. Grande stressed that the UN would aim to help the country meet the needs of returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), extend State authority into insecure areas, assist in boosting living conditions, fight impunity, and ensure governments are accountable and transparent.
General Gier Chuang Aluong, South Sudan’s Interior Minister, outlined the areas in which his Government is trying to focus its efforts, including building a national police service, ensuring transparent democracy and reintegrating former combatants into regular society.
“Much needs to be accomplished to move from relief to development so that every citizen in South Sudan can live in peace and harmony after decades of war,” he said.
South Sudan became an independent State on 9 July, following a UN-backed referendum in January that was held as part of the CPA. Last week the country became the 193rd Member State of the UN.
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
ENDS

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.