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Kazakhstan
Russian-led Troops Pulling Out
The contingent of troops from across the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has begun pulling out of Kazakhstan following a one-week deployment to quell protests that turned violent. Protests against a sharp increase in vehicle fuel prices after the new year broke out in multiple locations across Kazakhstan, leading Kazakh President Kassim-Jomart Tokayev to call on assistance from fellow members of the CSTO. Russia took the lead role and contributed the most troops to the contingent. Both the Kazakh and Russian governments have blamed the unrest on foreign-backed agents and have characterized the troop deployment as an anti-terrorist operation. With both Western and Kazakh critics voicing concern that the presence of Russian troops in the country could become ongoing, President Tokayev has said no foreign troops would be present after January 23.
This map provided by the Russian military depicts the travel routes and numbers of foreign troops from across the CSTO into Kazakhstan to quell recent protests. Click on the map to learn more.
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Cuba
Guantanamo Releases Announced
This week the Biden administration approved the release of five prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, showcasing accelerated efforts to resolve the situation of the remaining 39 prisoners on the 20th anniversary of the detention center. The first prisoners were sentenced to the then newly-built Camp X-Ray prison at the United States naval base in Guantanamo Bay on January 11, 2002. It was never intended to be permanent, however ambiguous legal procedures have enabled its continued existence. 780 prisoners have been held at Guantanamo Bay, yet only 12 have ever been charged with a crime and only two have been convicted in court. Allegations of abuse and torture in the notorious prison have spurred efforts by human rights groups to close it.
This map depicts the nationalities of the 780 detainees that have been held at Guantanamo Bay in the last 20 years. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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England
Largest Ichthyosaur Unearthed
A recently-announced 32-foot (9.75 meter) ichthyosaur fossil uncovered in England’s Rutland Water Nature Reserve last February is the largest ever unearthed in the country. It was discovered accidentally by a naturalist wading around a reservoir being drained for maintenance. After he caught a glimpse of the fossil’s vertebrae sticking up from the mud he took some photographs which were eventually forwarded to one of the United Kingdom’s leading paleontologists specializing in ichthyosaurs. The fossil is not only the largest, but also the most complete ichthyosaur discovered in England. Ichthyosaurs were apex marine predators resembling modern-day dolphins and whales that lived 250 million to 90 million years ago, in a time period overlapping with the dinosaurs.
This map depicts England’s Rutland Water Nature Reserve, where the country’s largest-ever ichthyosaur fossil was discovered last year. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which national park is nicknamed “Crown of the Continent” and is designated a UNESCO world heritage site and an international biosphere reserve?
A: Glacier National Park
Glacier Park’s geologic history dates back nearly 2 billion years. The sedimentary rock deposition began in the Proterozoic Eon, prior to complex life inhabiting the planet. Rocks this old are hardly preserved on Earth’s surface due to being eroded over time, however at Glacier Park, sedimentary rocks dating hundreds of millions of years are preserved. During the last major glaciation, around 20,000 years ago, the area was completely covered by glaciers. In 1910 when Glacier Park was signed into existence by President Taft, conservationist George Grinnell, who lobbied for its creation, nicknamed it the “Crown of the Continent” for the majestic beauty of its jewel-like glaciers. Today, most of these glaciers have melted away.
Source
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Q: There are more than 150 tripoints in the world, but only one international quadripoint. Which four countries make up the only quadripoint? Hint: This point is also known as the “Four Corners of Africa”
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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