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United States
First Omicron Case in California
Less than one week after the Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa, officials have confirmed the first case in the U.S. The individual returned from travel to South Africa on November 22nd and tested positive on November 29th. They were fully vaccinated and self quarantining. The individual’s symptoms have been mild and every close contact of the person has tested negative thus far. In an announcement from Dr. Fauci, he stated Omicron’s arrival into the U.S. was inevitable. The Omicron variant contains key antibodies that evade existing vaccines and immunity. Scientists are still studying how transmissible and deadly this variant is compared to the Delta variant. The Biden administration announced they would fight the new COVID strain with more widespread vaccinations, boosters and testing rather than putting new restrictions into place.
This map depicts the growing list of countries with reported cases of the new Omicron variant. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Bloomberg
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Laos
Laos-China Railway Set to Open
Tomorrow, Laos will open its $5.9 billion dollar railway built by China, which would help link China’s poorer southwest to foreign markets. The railway line begins in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, connecting up to Kunming, China, the capital of the Yunnan province. The 642 mile (1,035 km) railway will only carry cargo for now; the line will not yet carry passengers due to COVID travel restrictions. Many Laotian leaders welcome the railway, believing it could energize isolated economies and connect China with Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore, giving more access to ports and export markets. However, some are concerned costs may be dangerously high and would leave Laos in increased outstanding debt to China, which has financed the majority of the railway.
This map depicts proposed railway between Laos and China set to open this week and an overview of the costs and construction information. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Backpacker
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Israel
Tel Aviv is Most Expensive City
A new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has named Tel Aviv the most expensive city in the world to live in 2021. The index compared costs in U.S. dollars for goods and services in 173 cities. Tel Aviv’s climb to the number one spot is mainly attributed to the soaring value of Israel’s currency, the shekel, against the dollar. The Israeli city jumped up from fifth place last year, pushing Paris and Singapore to tie as the second most costly place to live. A combination of soaring inflation and supply-chain problems related to the pandemic have shifted prices globally. The city that saw the largest increase in living cost was Tehran, Iran, which rose from 79th place to 29th. Damascus, Syria’s capital, remains the least expensive city in the world to live in.
This map depicts the location of the 5 most expensive cities in the world to live. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The equator stretches 24,901 miles (40,075) around the world. How many countries does the equator pass through?
A: 13 Countries
The equator is an imaginary line that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Of the 13 countries the equator passes through, seven are in Africa, three are in South America, and the remaining countries are island nations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The equator is one of five lines of latitude used to navigate the world and enables cartographers to locate any place on the globe. Most of the countries that lie on the equator have much warmer temperatures due to an almost constant exposure to sunlight. Countries on the equator include almost half of the world’s rainforests as sunlight and rainfall levels in these areas are ideal for plant growth.
Source
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Q: Bordering two continents, what is the world’s largest inland water body?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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