Google Puts South Sudan on the Map
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A satellite view of the Republic of South Sudan on Google Maps.
CREDIT: Google Maps |
Google has updated Google Maps and Google Earth to recognize the newly independent nation of The Republic of South Sudan.
The Republic of South Sudan became an independent, sovereign nation from Sudan on July 9th, 2011 after nearly 99 percent of the population voted in favor of independence. The move followed 50 years of civil war and conflict that resulted in over two million deaths and hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people.
John Tanza Mabusu, a journalist from South Sudan currently living in Washington D.C., launched a campaign along with activist group Change.org to urge online mapping services such as Google Maps to include the new country.
“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,” Mabusu said in a statement.
“The people of South Sudan fought long and hard for their independence and suffered greatly. It’s time these maps reflect their efforts and catch up.”
While South Sudan can now be found on Google Maps, Change.org noted that it is still not on Yahoo!, Microsoft’s Bing and National Geographic maps.
Reach TechNewsDaily senior writer Samantha Murphy at smurphy@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @SamMurphy_TMN.
