Blog Assignment 3 – Ancient History
The New York Times in Africa from the world section was mainly treating about African culture regarding to the geography and other factors, and there were many online sources by the journal that the other authors or reporters from African society have written. Generally most of the online sources had sufficient information to track the history of Sudan. All the sources from the New York Times and geography related sites such as geography.about.com and so on.
South Sudan, officially called the Republic of South Sudan, is the world’s newest country. It is a landlocked country located on the continent of Africa to the south of the country of Sudan. South Sudan became an independent nation at midnight on July 9, 2011 after a January 2011 referendum regarding its secession from Sudan passed with around 99% of voters in favor of the split. South Sudan mainly voted to secede from Sudan because of cultural and religious differences and a decades-long civil war.
Three ancient Kushite kingdoms existed consecutively in northern Sudan. This region was also known as Nubia and Meroe, and these civilizations flourished mainly along the Nile River from the first to the sixth cataracts. The kingdoms were influenced by, and in turn influenced Pharaonic Egypt. Dynasty was founded under Alara and regained independence for the kingdom of Kush although borders fluctuated greatly. I was overwhelmed by the fact that Sudan is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that has real archaeology and local teams working.
Though its historical importance has long been overshadowed by Egypt, its neighbor to the north, Sudan’s archaeological record is pivotal to understanding the history of Africa itself, experts say, and a wave of new discoveries may be adding crucial new information. “The history of Sudan can play a role for Africa that Greece played for the history of Europe,” Mr. Rilly said enthusiastically. “People have been living here for 5,000 years” along the Nile, he added. “It is difficult not to find something.” The Egyptians conquered Sudan in 1874 and established the province of Equatoria. Islamic revolutionaries entered the territory in 1885, but British troops defeated the invaders and took over Sudan in 1898. Britain and Egypt ruled the country, and in the early 20th century, Christian missionaries converted a large segment of the population and introduced English to the region. This result was a clearly defined line between the Arab north and the black African animists and Christians in the south. South Sudan depends largely on imports of goods, services, and capital from the north. South Sudan does have abundant natural resources and produces nearly three fourths of the former Sudan’s total oil output of nearly a half million barrels per day.
The government of south Sudan derives nearly about 98% of its budget revenues from oil. As people might know well about the significance of oil, oil is exported through two pipelines that run to refineries and shipping facilities at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. However, on July 2011, South Sudan became an independent country. South Sudan seceded from the Republic of Sudan in 2011. Geographically it is not the part of the Sudan region forming as it does part of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the parts of the East Sudanian Savanna.