|
Yemen
UN to Salvage Oil Tanker
The United Nations reported the start of an operation to salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil from the decaying Safer tanker off the coast of Yemen. UN officials have warned for years the Red Sea and Yemen’s coastline is at risk due to the tanker, with the potential to spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off the coast of Alaska. The ongoing war in Yemen has caused deterioration to the Safer and puts it at higher risk of explosion. The oil will be transferred to a replacement tanker, the Nautica, which set sail from China in early April. The UN has raised $114 million to fund the project, however an additional $29 million is urgently requested in order to safely moor the Nautica to an anchored buoy as well as tow the Safer to a recycling yard.
This map depicts the Safer, an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen where the UN is working to salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: Barron’s
__________________________________________
|
|
North Korea
Failed Satellite Launched
North Korea failed to launch its first spy satellite into space on Wednesday. The newly developed Chollima-1 rocket was carrying the Malliygyong-1 spy satellite, but quickly fell into the sea off the coast of the Korean Peninsula. The failed launch was a setback to North Korea’s push to strengthen their military capabilities amid high tensions with the United States and South Korea. North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration has reported they plan to conduct a second launch following investigation, and recent commercial satellite imagery of the Sohae launch center showed active construction for the launch of another satellite.
This map depicts the location of the North Korean satellite following its fall into the Yellow Sea. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: Barron’s
__________________________________________
|
|
World
BRICS Planning to Expand
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will meet in South Africa today with aims to expand membership and establish the bloc as a global force, potentially countering the US and European Union. The summit will also discuss the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the group. BRICS countries share frustrations with Western standards and seek non-interference in domestic affairs. Saudi Arabia’s membership would solidify this trend and showcase the diminishing influence of the West. However, challenges remain to BRICS expansion, including territorial rivalries, economic prospects, and differing political systems.
This map depicts countries that are members of BRICS and interested in joining. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q: In 2007, what city completed the most expensive highway project in the United States?
A: Boston, Massachusetts
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project, also known as the Big Dig, was a major highway project in Boston, Massachusetts that cost over $8 billion. It was originally scheduled to be completed in 1998 but wasn’t finished until 2007 after many complications. It aimed to address the city’s traffic congestion and improve mobility. The project involved replacing the deteriorating Central Artery with an underground expressway, including the construction of two new bridges over the Charles River, and extending existing highways to Logan International Airport. The expensive project reduced traffic congestion, improved travel times, and lowered carbon monoxide levels. It also created open space and reconnected neighborhoods that were previously separated by the old highway.
Source
|
|
|
|
|
Q: Completed in 1965, which monument stands 630 feet in the air as the United States’ smallest National Park?
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.
|
|
|
|
|
