世界上最新的國家是哪一個？

麥千葉

New countries dont appear every day. Though a territorial entity does declare its independence， it is not always recognized by the rest of the world. The newest internationally recognized country in the world is South Sudan， which declared independence on July 9， 2011.

So， how do new countries come into being？ Despite no official rules， there are generally accepted criteria in international law. The Montevideo Convention of 1933 defined a state as a sovereign based on four benchmarks： having a permanent population， defined territorial boundaries，

a government， and an ability to enter into agreements with others. Furthermore， the process by which a group of people form their own state and choose their own government was explored in documents and declarations of the United Nations. Still， even with the aforementioned criteria seemingly met， internationally recognized independence is not easy owing to resistance from its mother country and the inability to gain internationally-formal recognition.

South Sudan was originally the southern part of Sudan， which was quite diverse with the populations of the north and south： the north dominated by Islamic adherents， mostly Arabic speakers， while the south occupied by African ethnic groups favoring Christianity or traditional African religions. The former administration of Sudan， based in the north， was hardly accepted by all of the diverse political constituencies（選區）， particularly those in the south. As Su-

dans anticipated independence drew near， southern Sudan with very little representation in the new administration formed in 1954， feared that it would become a northern-based government. Then two lengthy civil wars took place in 1955—1972 and 1983—2005. The internationally supported 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement， for the sake of peace， granted southern Sudan semiautonomous status and provided for a referendum on independence to be held in six years. The referendum occurred in January 2011， with the majority choosing to secede， and South Sudan， with the support of the international community， declared independence later that year.

（材料來自Britannica網站，有刪改）

1. What is the passage mainly about？

A. How a new country forms.

B. How a state gained independence.

C. How South Sudan became a country.

D. How South Sudan won the referendum.

2. Which of the following is a hindrance to a new countrys establishment？

A. A permanent population.

B. Defined territorial boundaries.

C. No related information in UN papers.

D. The internationally-formal approval.

3. What impelled former southern Sudan to become a country？

A. The founding of its own government.

B. Its fear for a new northern-based government.

C. Its faith and religions different from those in the north.

D. Its ability to gain international recognition.

4. How did South Sudan finally gain independence from former Sudan？

A. By winning the civil wars.

B. By getting a referendum and international support.

C. By gaining higher nationally-political position.

D. By obtaining the self-governing status granted by UN.

1. C。解析：主旨大意題。材料第一段的最后一句提到“世界上最新得到國際承認的國家是南蘇丹，它在2011年宣布獨立”，然后材料第二段的第一句是關于“新的國家是如何形成的？”的提問，接著材料第三段中又提到“南蘇丹原來是蘇丹的一部分”“在國際社會的支持下，南蘇丹宣布獨立”，據此可知C選項“南蘇丹是如何成為一個國家的”與材料內容更為相符，故選C。

2. C。解析：細節理解題。材料第二段的第四句提到“一群人組建自己的國家和選擇自己的政府的過程在聯合國的文件和宣言中被探尋到”，C選項“聯合國文件中沒有相關資料”與材料內容相符，故選C。

3. B。解析：推理判斷題。材料第三段的第二句和第三句提到“前蘇丹政府以北部為基地，難以被所有不同的政治選區所接受，尤其是南部的那些。隨著蘇丹預期的獨立臨近，在1954年成立的新政府中幾乎沒有代表的南部蘇丹擔心它會變成一個以北部為基礎的政府”，B選項“對一個以北部為基礎的新政府的擔憂”與材料內容相符，故選B。

4. B。解析：細節理解題。材料第三段的最后一句提到“全民公決中，大多數人選擇脫離，如今的南蘇丹在國際社會的支持下，于當年晚些時候宣布獨立”，B選項“通過公投和國際社會的支持”與材料內容相符，故選B。