Sudan Leader to Accept Secession of South - NYTimes.com

Sudan, from CIA World Factbook

Sudan Leader to Accept Secession of South

This July, 2011, the continent of Africa, and the world, will gain a new state.

Barring any further controversy, conflict, civil war, the country of Sudan will divide into two separate countries.

I have no idea what these countries will be named. Perhaps, "Sudan" will refer to the northern portion, with a capital at Khartoum. The southern portion of Sudan will tentatively be name "South(ern) Sudan." The capital of Southern Sudan will reside at Juba.

It is not particularly rare that new countries enter onto the global arena. Recently, we saw the independence of Kosovo (2008), and Montenegro (2006). Both of these countries arose from the fracture of the former state of Yugoslavia.

In the future, we could see Scotland become an independent state, in the British Isles. On the European Mainland, Belgium is very close to splitting into a French-speaking state, and a Dutch-speaking state.

Stateless Children

What happens when you are Chinese and your spouse is Canadian and your child is born in Belgium?

Answer: you have a child without a country, without a nationality. 

Seem impossible?

Many countries do not allow children born within their political boundaries automatic citizenship.  The home countries of the parents often do not grant automatic citizenship to babies of parents with mixed nationalities.

Imagine not being able to get a National ID card, no passport, no drivers license.  Imagine having to trace your ancestry back generations to find a relative from a country who does not have residency requirements for citizenship?