Did you know the President of South Sudan wears a Ten Gallon hat?

Although there is much to be said about South Sudan, the world's newest country, today we are going to discuss one thing--the President's head-wear. 

Salva Kiir Mayardit

Yes, the first and current President of South Sudan wears a Ten Gallon Hat, of the Stetson variety. Why does a country in North-East Africa have a leader who looks like he just came off his Texas cattle ranch? Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, because he got that hat from a Texas cattle rancher--former President George W. Bush. 

Bush gave Kiir the hat six or seven years ago and he liked it so much that he bought himself several more. He has been seen wearing it at his inauguration, while speaking to the UN, and when he signed South Sudan's new constitution. 

Random Kate Thoughts: I did not realize that Bush had played such an important role in the independence of South Sudan. Oddly enough, it seems he might have seen it as some kind of Christian crusade--freeing the mostly-Christian south from the Muslim north. In some ways, South Sudan and Texas are quite similar. They have extremely violent histories, an arid climate, and a lot of oil. And in other ways, they are very different. But at least you know what to wear in both!