Learn About Sudan - Geography, History, and More

Learn About Sudan - Geography, History, and More Population: 43,939,598 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: KhartoumBordering Countries: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, South Sudan, and UgandaLand Area: 967,500 square miles (2,505,813 sq km)Coastline: 530 miles (853 km)Sudan is located in northeastern Africa and it is the largest country in Africa. It is also the tenth largest country in the world based on area. Sudan is bordered by nine different countries and it is located along the Red Sea. It has a long history of civil wars as well as political and social instability. Most recently Sudan has been in the news because South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9, 2011. The elections for secession began on January 9, 2011 and the referendum to secede passed strongly. South Sudan seceded from Sudan because it is mostly Christian and it has been engaged in a civil war with the Muslim north for several decades.History of SudanSudan has a long history that begins with its being a collection of small kingdoms until Egypt conquered the area in the early 1800s. At this time however, Egypt only controlled the northern portions, while the south was made up of independent tribes. In 1881, Muhammad ibn Abdalla, also known as Mahdi, began a crusade to unify western and central Sudan which created the Umma Party.In 1885, Mahdi led a revolt but he died soon after and in 1898, Egypt and Great Britain regained joint control of the area.In 1953, however, Great Britain and Egypt gave Sudan the powers of self-government and put it on a path to independence. On January 1, 1956, Sudan gained full independence. According to the United States Department of State, once it gained independence Sudans leaders began to renege on promises to create a federal system which began a long period of civil war in the country between the northern and southern areas as the north has long tried to implement Muslim policies and customs.As a result of the long civil wars, Sudans economic and political progress has been slow and a large part of its population has been displ aced to neighboring countries over the years. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Sudan underwent several changes in government and suffered from high levels of political instability along with the continuing civil war. Beginning in the early 2000s though, the government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) came up with several agreements that would give South Sudan more autonomy from the rest of the country and put it on a path to becoming independent.In July 2002 steps to end the civil war began with the Machakos Protocol and on November 19, 2004, the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A worked with the United Nations Security Council and signed a declaration for a peace agreement that would be enacted by the end of 2004. On January 9, 2005 the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).Government of SudanBased on the CPA, Sudans government today is called a Government of National Unity. This is a power sharing type of government that exists between the Nation al Congress Party (NCP) and the SPLM/A. The NCP however, carries most of the power. Sudan also has an executive branch of government with a president and a legislative branch that is made up of the bicameral National Legislature. This body consists of the Council of States and the National Assembly. Sudans judicial branch is made up of several different high courts. The country is also divided into 25 different states.Economics and Land Use in SudanRecently, Sudans economy has begun to grow after many years of instability due to its civil war. There are a number of different industries in Sudan today and agriculture also plays a large role in its economy. The main industries of Sudan are oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments and automobile assembly. Its main agricultural products include cotton, peanuts, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, tapioca, mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame and livestock.Geography a nd Climate of SudanSudan is a very large country with a total land area of 967,500 square miles (2,505,813 sq km). Despite the countrys size, most of Sudans topography is relatively flat with a featureless plain according to the CIA World Factbook. There are some high mountains in the far south and along the countrys northeast and western areas however. Sudans highest point, Kinyeti at 10,456 feet (3,187 m), is located on its far southern border with Uganda. In the north, most of Sudans landscape is desert and desertification is a serious issue in nearby areas.The climate of Sudan varies with location. It is tropical in the south and arid in the north. Parts of Sudan also have a rainy season which varies. Sudans capital Khartoum, which is located in the central part of the country where the White Nile and the Blue Nile rivers (both of which are tributaries of the Nile River) meet, has a hot, arid climate. The January average low for that city is 60ËšF (16ËšC) while the June average high is 106ËšF (41ËšC).To learn more about Sudan, visit the Geography and Maps section on Sudan on this web site.References Central Intelligence Agency. (27 December 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Sudan. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Sudan: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107996.htmlUnited States Department of State. (9 November 2010). Sudan. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htmWikipedia.com. (10 January 2011). Sudan - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan

The Treaty of Kanagawa Opened Japan to Trade

The Treaty of Kanagawa Opened Japan to Trade The Treaty of Kanagawa was an 1854 agreement between the United States of America and the government of Japan. In what became known as the opening of Japan, the two countries agreed to engage in limited trade and to agree to the safe return of American sailors who had become shipwrecked in Japanese waters. The treaty was accepted by the Japanese after a squadron of American warships anchored in the mouth of Tokyo Bay on July 8, 1853. Japan has been a closed society with very little contact with the rest of the world for 200 years, and there was an expectation that the Japanese Emperor would not be receptive to American overtures. However, friendly relations between the two nations were established. The approach to Japan is sometimes viewed as an international aspect of Manifest Destiny. The expansion toward the West meant that the United States was becoming a power in the Pacific Ocean. American political leaders believed their mission in the world was to expand American markets into Asia. The treaty was the first modern treaty Japan negotiated with a western nation. While it was limited in scope, it did open Japan to trade with the west for the first time. The treaty led to other treaties, so it sparked enduring changes for Japanese society. Background of the Treaty of Kanagawa After some very tentative dealings with Japan, the administration of President Millard Fillmore dispatched a trusted naval officer, Commodore Matthew C. Perry, to Japan to attempt to gain entry to Japanese markets. Along with the potential for commerce, the United States sought to use Japanese ports in a limited manner. The American whaling fleet had been sailing farther into the Pacific Ocean, and it would be advantageous to be able to visit Japanese ports to load supplies, food, and fresh water. The Japanese had firmly resisted visits from American whalers. Perry arrived at Edo Bay on July 8, 1853, carrying a letter from President Fillmore requesting friendship and free trade. The Japanese were not receptive, and Perry said he would return in one year with more ships. The Japanese leadership, the Shogunate, faced a dilemma. If they agreed to the American offer, other nations would no doubt follow and seek relations with them, undermining the isolationism they sought. On the other hand, if they rejected Commodore Perrys offer, the American promise to return with a larger and modern military force seemed to be a serious threat. Perry had impressed the Japanese by arriving with four steam-powered warships which had been painted black. The ships appeared modern and formidable. The Signing of the Treaty Before leaving on the mission to Japan, Perry had read any books he could find on Japan. The diplomatic way in which he handled matters seemed to make things go more smoothly than otherwise might have been expected. By arriving and delivering a letter, and then sailing away to return months later, the Japanese leaders felt they were not being overly pressured. And when Perry arrived back in Tokyo the following year, in February 1854, leading a squadron of American ships. The Japanese were fairly receptive, and negotiations began between Perry and representatives from Japan.. Perry brought along gifts for the Japanese to provide  some idea of what American was like, He presented them with a small working model of a steam locomotive, a barrel of whiskey, some examples of modern American farming tools, and a book by the naturalist John James Audubon, Birds and Quadrupeds of America. After weeks of negotiation, the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed on March 31, 1854. The treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate as well as by the Japanese government. The trade between the two nations was still quite limited, as only certain Japanese ports were open to American ships. However, the hard line Japan had taken about shipwrecked American sailors had been relaxed.  And American ships in the western Pacific would be able to call on Japanese ports to obtain food, water, and other supplies. American ships began mapping the waters around Japan in 1858, a scientific effort which was viewed as having great importance to American merchant sailors. Overall, the treaty was seen by Americans as a sign of progress. As word of the treaty spread, European nations began approaching Japan with similar requests, and within a few years more than a dozen other nations had negotiated treaties with Japan. In 1858 the United States, during the administration of President James Buchanan, sent a diplomat, Townsend Harris, to negotiate a more comprehensive treaty. Japanese ambassadors traveled to the United States, and they became a sensation wherever they traveled. The isolation of Japan had essentially ended, though factions within the country debated just how westernized Japanese society should become. Sources: Shogun Iesada Signs the Convention of Kanagawa.  Global Events:  Milestone Events Throughout History, edited by Jennifer Stock, vol. 2: Asia and Oceania, Gale, 2014, pp. 301-304.   Munson, Todd S. Japan, Opening of.  Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450, edited by Thomas Benjamin, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2007, pp. 667-669. Matthew Calbraith Perry.  Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 12, Gale, 2004, pp. 237-239.