|
United States
One Million COVID Deaths
According to data compiled by NBC News, the United States surpassed 1 million Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday. The United States has the world’s highest recorded death toll from the virus. This data comes as Covid-19 cases in the U.S. have been increasing in recent days. 119,865 new cases and 767 new deaths were reported on Wednesday, with 43 of the 50 states providing data. The U.S. is ranked 63rd in the world for Covid-19 vaccinations, according to John’s Hopkins, with only 66.75% of the population fully vaccinated. Even though the U.S. has the highest official death toll, other countries have had worse fatality rates in comparison to population size. The World Health Organization today released a report putting the global death toll from Covid-19 as nearing 15 million.
This map depicts the change in Covid-19 cases over the past two weeks. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: DailyMail
__________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Israel
Israelis Enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
This morning, Israeli police cleared protesters from the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City section of Jerusalem. The police made way for hundreds of Israeli Jews to enter the site, ending a government-imposed 10-day pause giving exclusive access to the site to Palestinian Muslims for the end of Ramadan. At least 14 Palestinians were injured and about 50 arrested during the operation. The area of the Old City called the Esplanade is the holiest site for the world’s Jews, the Temple Mount. To Muslims, it is home to the Dome of the Rock, Islam’s third-holiest site. In the current arrangement under the custodianship of neighboring Jordan, Jews may visit but not pray at the site, but many pray discreetly, and some Palestinians fear that Israel has ambitions to take over the site.
This map depicts the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock in the southeast, where Israeli police cleared Palestinian protestors this morning to allow in Jewish visitors. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: Barron’s
__________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Somalia
Al-Shabab Attacks AU Base
The Islamist militant group al-Shabab carried out a deadly attack on an African Union peacekeeper base at al-Baraf, about 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Most of the soldiers stationed at the base are from Burundi. Al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, claims to have killed more than 170 African Union soldiers, while Burundi’s military and the African Union have only confirmed 10 soldiers killed, with another 5 missing. The Somali government and the African Union have condemned the attack. The African Union has a UN mandate to help support the Somali government as it tries to maintain peace and rebuild after decades of war. Al-Shabab continues to control much of Somalia’s territory.
This map depicts the country of Somalia and the location of the El Baraf (al-Baraf) military base, where Islamist militant group al-Shabab attacked an African Union peacekeeping force, killing a number of Burudian soldiers. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q: Costa Rica enjoys a rich and diverse geography, from steep mountain ranges to miles of tropical beaches, dense rainforests, mangroves, and over 200 volcanoes. What are the only three climates on Earth that do not exist in the Central American country?
A: Tundra, snow, and desert climates
Thanks to Costa Rica’s varied elevation, the country enjoys a diverse climate system. With only two seasons year around (dry and rainy), Costa’s Rica’s climate has more to do with the topography of the land than its latitudinal position. Although there are 12 climatic zones in Costa Rica, scientists have observed potentially thousands of microclimates. The only climates not found in Costa Rica are tundra, snow, and desert climates – the least hospitable for human habitation. With Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, microclimates can be starkly dissimilar despite being only a short distance from each other, a phenomenon which is noticeable when trekking through the country. Of Costa Rica’s nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) of tropical coastline, the Pacific coastline makes up 80% of the coastal land, with its Caribbean coast being about a quarter of the size. While the Caribbean coastline experiences random rain showers all year round, the Pacific coast remains quite dry.
Source
|
|
|
|
|
Q: Thanks to strict conservation efforts, which Central African park has never been logged or inhabited by human settlements and is the most intact forest ecosystem on the African continent?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
|
|
|
|
|
AGS is accepting DailyGeo GeoQuestion suggestions.
Write to ags@americangeo.org with any ideas!
Please include GeoQuestions in the subject line, along with your answer and source.
|
|
|
|
DailyGeo is a daily digital communication created by AGS for the geography community. Feel free to share and encourage others to become part of the community too!
Copyright © 2022 American Geographical Society, All rights reserved.
We understand this might not be for everyone. Although we would hate to see you go, you can unsubscribe here.
How are we doing? We want to hear your feedback on the DailyGeo – what are we doing right and what should we be doing differently. Talk to us by emailing ags@americangeo.org.
|
|
|
|
|
