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Myanmar
Dozens Missing In Mine Landslide
A landslide likely caused by an overflow of mining rubble has rescuers scrambling to find victims in a lake near Hpakant, in Myanmar’s northern state of Kachin. As many as 100 people are missing in the accident, most of them illegal miners looking for jade in the open-pit mine. Myanmar is among the world’s leading sources of the precious stone, but safety oversight of mining operations is lax. Jade mining is actually illegal in the location near Hpakant, but with high unemployment and few prospects, locals hunt for fragments of jade as a source of income.
This map depicts the location of Hpakant in Myanmar’s Kachin state, where a landslide has left as many as 100 people missing. Click on the map to learn more.
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Madagascar
Boat Accident and Copter Crash
At least 64 people are dead and 24 are still missing following a boat accident in the Indian Ocean off the northeastern coast of Madagascar. A cargo ship illegally carrying passengers took on water in the engine and sank Monday night with 138 people on board. Rescuers successfully saved 50 people. In the midst of the rescue operation, further tragedy struck when a helicopter carrying Madagascar’s secretary of state for police, Serge Gelle, crashed into the water. Gelle, 57, and another passenger successfully swam for twelve hours back to land and were recovered on the shore. Search and rescue is ongoing for the other two passengers in the helicopter.
This map depicts the location where a helicopter carrying a government minister in a rescue operation for a boat accident crashed into the Indian Ocean off of Madagascar. The minister and another passenger successfully swam to shore. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Times (UK)
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China
Dinosaur Egg Fossil Discovered
An amazingly well-preserved fossil of a dinosaur embryo still in its egg, apparently days from hatching around 66-72 million years ago, has been found. The fossil was unearthed in southern China in Ganzhou City in Jiangxi province. This discovery sheds light on the link between dinosaurs and modern birds; in particular, the embryo is in a distinct “tucking” posture, which is seen as a critical piece in successful hatching. Previously, scientists believed that this posture was unique to birds, but now it is believed to have evolved from birds’ non-avian ancestors.
This map depicts the location where the fossil was found in southern China. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Sugar was first used in the Polynesian Islands over 5,000 years ago. Which country today is the leading global producer of sugar, yielding about 42 million metric tons in the last year?
A: Brazil
Brazil accounts for about 25% of the world production of sugar from sugar cane. Sugar, refined from the energy stores of various plants, would not have entered our diet if it weren’t for its geographic footprint. The pursuit of sugar, in part, drove the expansion of European empires to islands in the Atlantic. In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought sugar cane to the Caribbean where it thrived. It became a lucrative crop and was most commonly cultivated by enslaved peoples. Sugar as a commodity brought millions of Africans to the Caribbean and Brazil to cultivate the crop, which enriched a class of wealthy merchants and European political interest groups. The sugar boom ultimately fueled a wave of dietary changes and racialized consumption, and has become a fixture in our diets since.
Source
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Q: What is the name of the famous hiking trail that starts from the border of Mexico in California and extends 2,650 miles (4,265 km) to the border of Canada in Washington state?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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