Google puts South Sudan on the map following campaign

Google has recognised the newly independent nation of South Sudan by including it on Google Maps.

The online separation from Sudan followed a campaign by 1,600 members of the group Change.org, calling for the new nation to be marked on web maps.

But South Sudan is still missing from Yahoo!, Microsoft and National Geographic maps.

It became independent in July this year, following decades of conflict in which some two million people died.

Six weeks after his home country gained independence, John Tanza Mabusu, a journalist from South Sudan living in Washington, launched a petition on Change.org.

It called on online mapping services to update their maps to include the new nation.

"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," said 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."

He said: "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."

Change.org says it is the world's fastest-growing platform for social change, with more than 400,000 new members a month.
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