|
United States
Dual Texas Tragedies Kill Fifteen
A gunman opened fire at a mall in Allen, Texas on Saturday, killing eight people before being shot dead by police. Mauricio Garcia, age 33, is accused of carrying out the planned attack. Dashcam video showed Garcia, dressed in combat gear, firing immediately after stepping out of a car in the parking lot. Garcia was eventually shot by a police officer in the area who had been responding to a different call. Of the several people injured in the attack sent to local hospitals, three remain in critical condition. The shooting in Allen was followed by a deadly crash in Brownsville the next day, when the driver of an SUV plowed through a crowd of migrants at a bus stop, killing at least seven and injuring six others.
This map depicts locations in the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, TX, where a lone gunman killed eight people. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: WFAA
__________________________________________
|
|
Canada
Wildfires Raging in Alberta
Alberta declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the Canadian province faces over 100 wildfires, with 31 considered out-of-control. The fires have prompted the evacuations of over 30,000 people. The province has been experiencing an unprecedented hot and dry Spring, creating favorable conditions for wildfires. Ongoing wind, smoke, and fire conditions have made it difficult to assess the amount of property loss, however Alberta is receiving help from across the country, with other provinces deploying firefighters and management teams, as well as help expected from the US State of Montana. Western Canada has seen severe wildfires driven by weather extremes in recent years, including in 2021 when a deadly blaze in British Columbia destroyed the entire town of Lytton.
This map depicts the Fire Weather Index in Canada. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: CWFIS
__________________________________________
|
|
Italy
Tour of Italy Race is Underway
The 106th running of the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy) cycling race began on Saturday in Costa dei Trabocchi, in the Italian province of Chieti, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The 2,142.9 mile (3,448.6 km) long race is set to run through May 28, with stages that take riders through most of the provinces of mainland Italy before ending in Rome. The stages of the race are not all directly connected. Racers take each stage on a day-by-day basis before being transported to the starting location of the next stage. Added together, the stages of the race combine to a total of over 168,000 feet (51,400 m) of uphill pedaling. The winner of the race is determined by aggregate time to complete all the stages. The current leader wears the maglia rosa (pink jersey).
This map depicts the stages of the Tour of Italy cycling race, which began its 106th running on Saturday. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q: Considered one of the most remarkable structures on Earth, how old are the earliest-known fortifications that would eventually become the Great Wall of China?
A: 7th Century BCE
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications built as historical borders in ancient Chinese states. In 220 BCE, several sections of fortifications, some built as early as the 7th century, were joined together under Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, to form a united defense system against northern invasions. The construction of the Great Wall continued with successive dynasties up through the Ming Dynasty, which lasted until the mid 17th century. With a total length of over 13,000 miles (21,000 km), the wall became the world’s largest military structure and has been lauded as one of the world’s greatest architectural feats. Aside from defense, the Great Wall has been used for the regulation of trade along the Silk Road and the control of immigration. Because the wall was built successively, it has multiple courses, however collectively, the wall stretches from Liaodong in eastern China to Lop Lake in the west, and from the present day Sino-Russian border in the north to the Tao River in the south. In 1987, the Great Wall of China was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source
|
|
|
|
|
Q: What European capital city lies along this narrow loop of the Aare River?
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 © 2023 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.
|
|
|
|
|
