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Iran
Shrine Attack Kills 15
The Islamic State (IS) is claiming responsibility for an assault on a Shi’ite shrine in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz on Wednesday. Fifteen people at the shrine of Shah Cheragh, including women and children, were killed when pilgrims and staff were targeted by the gun attack. Iranian media reports two out of three of the alleged assailants have been arrested, while other sources claim there was a single gunman. IS militants are referred to by Iranian authorities as “takfiris,” ultra-fundamentalist Sunni Muslims who have also carried out terror attacks on Shia Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. These kinds of attacks are rare in predominantly-Shia Iran.
This map depicts the location of the Iranian city of Shiraz, where an attack at a Shi’ite Muslim shrine left 15 people dead. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Ukraine
Power Infrastructure Under Attack
Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine have accelerated over the past few weeks. The Ukrainian government, along with the United States and other Western partner nations, have alleged Russia is deploying Iranian-made “kamikaze” drones alongside a barrage of its own surface-to-surface missiles in an ongoing attack on power and heat-generation stations across the country, since October 10. The use of Iranian military technology would be a violation of international sanctions. At one point, Ukrainian officials claimed Russian attacks had damaged or destroyed 30% of Ukrainian power generation capacity, however Ukraine is improving their ability to counter the attacks and bring down drones and projectiles before they inflict damage. The United States and other partner nations are pledging further air-defense weaponry to aid Ukraine.
This map depicts locations of energy infrastructure in Ukraine that has been damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks since October 10. Click on the map to learn more.
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France
Route du Rhum Festivities Begin
The 12th edition of the ‘Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe’ trans-Atlantic solo sailing race is set to begin on November 6, from the French port city of Saint-Malo to the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe at Pointe-a-Pitre. The race village in Saint-Malo, the largest ever, officially opened yesterday with thousands of early visitors and spectators lining the docks to welcome the first of the fleet and watch the festive parades. The race is no easy feat, as solo sailors must push their boats to high average speeds while maintaining relative safety in the dangerous waters. It was also announced yesterday that Canadian skipper Mike Birch, who won the first ever 1978 Route du Rhum solo trans-Atlantic race, has died at 90 years old.
This map depicts start and finish locations of the Route du Rhum sailing race as well as the trade winds, Gulf Stream, and other ocean currents that will affect the race. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Despite being split in two by a strip of agricultural land, what is the world’s oldest surviving rainforest?
A: The Daintree Rainforest, Australia
Dating back some 180 million years, Daintree is one of the oldest continuous vegetations in the world, even older than the Amazon Rainforest by about 10 million years. The ancient jungle stretches about 460 sq miles (1,200 sq km) and is the largest within Australia and third largest in the world. It is also the only place in the world where two world heritage sites stand side by side, as the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef on the northeast coast of Queensland. The Daintree rainforest, the town of Daintree, the Daintree River, and the Daintree National Park were all named in the honor of Australian pioneering geologist and photographer Richard Daintree in the 1860s. As one of the most biodiverse rainforests in the world with over 3,000 plant species, Daintree is also home to many unique species found no where else on the planet, including the Ulysses Butterfly, Boyd’s Forest Dragon, and the Southern Cassowary. While farming has existed in flat areas in the Daintree since the early 20th century, in 1980, a key part of the lowland rainforest was subdivided into 1,100 lots, and for over 25 years, the Australian government and non-profit organizations have been working to buy back unspoiled sections of the rainforest.
Source
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Q: What geological landform shaped the entirety of the state of Wisconsin (with the exception of the state’s southwestern area)?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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