On Saturday, July 9, 2011, South Sudan became the world's 196th independent country. Although not yet a member of the United Nations (there is a process for membership), South Sudan quickly received international recognition (including the United States, United Kingdom, and the other three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council), making its status legitimate as an independent country.
The United Kingdom and China have already established embassies in Juba (population 250,000), the capital of the world's newest country with more to follow in the coming days. Sudan, the country from which South Sudan seceded, actually recognized South Sudan a day early, on July 8. In addition to the United Nations, the African Union is likely to approve South Sudan's membership without delay. The new United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) began on July 9; peacekeepers and observers are scheduled to remain in the new country for an initial period of one year.
South Sudan has a population of about 8.2 million people. With the secession of South Sudan, Sudan dropped from being the tenth largest country in the world to the fifteenth largest country. The Washington Post has a great map and timeline of South Sudan and Al Jazeera has a lovely collection of photographs of independence day in South Sudan.
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(Image: Voters celebrate with the flag of South Sudan during the first day of voting for the independence referendum in the southern Sudanese city of Juba on January 9, 2011. Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Comments
Happy Birthday, South Sudan!
That is awesome for the people of South Sudan!
They will face GOD’S wrath if they mistreat Jehovah’s people
jerrywilson–
wth? What does that have to do with anything? I think you are on the wrong site….Can we keep, our religious b.s. to ourselves….
Happy b-day South Sudan
Welcome to the world, South Sudan! I wish you a prosperous and peaceful existence!
I have not heard one word about how oil revenues will be divided between Sudan and South Sudan. It’s as if the Sudan attitude is “good riddance.” It is my understanding that oil from South Sudan must pass through Sudan by pipeline. How else can South Sudan get revenue? Anyone?
South Sudan has a long way to go.Welcome South Sudan !
Lest anyone think the South Sudanese have anything to be happy about here are just two sentences from Wikipedia:
“South Sudan is one of the poorest countries with possibly the worst health situation in the world.”
“South Sudan is at war with at least seven armed groups in nine of its ten states, with tens of thousands displaced.”
South Sudan rules
welcome second anniversary to be celebrate in RSS
Wikipedia is almost always never accurate. As this website and someone else said, it is still a new country and it has a long way to go. Its not like its going to automatically be a first world country.
Heart of Africa