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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Conflict Expands Across Region
The fight between Congolese security forces and militant groups led by the rebel paramilitary group M23 has expanded to involve Ugandan and Burundian troops. The United Nations’ peacekeeping forces estimate M23’s capture of Goma on January 28th, the regional hub of the DRC on the Rwandan border, was supported by 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan troops. The capture of Goma has significantly escalated unrest. According to the Congolese government, at least 7,000 people have been killed in the conflict since January, and the U.N. reports at least 600,000 people have been displaced, including 450,000 people left without shelter after 90 displacement camps were destroyed. One in four people, or over 25 million people, suffer from a level of hunger classified as “crisis or worse.” The conflict over power, resources such as copper and cobalt mines, and ethnic divisions dates back to the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. Since the inception of the conflict, over 5 million people have died, making it one of the worst ongoing humanitarian crises in the world.
This map depicts small-scale mining in eastern DRC from International Peace Information Service . Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Reuters
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World
2024 Global Terrorism Index
According to the 12th annual Global Terrorism Index (GTI), terrorism is spreading, reversing the global trend over the past decade. In 2024, the number of countries recording a terrorist attack increased from 58 to 66, with 45 countries experiencing more attacks than the year prior. Fatalities caused by organized terrorist groups have increased by 11 percent, while in the West, the vast majority of fatal terrorist attacks were committed by lone actors. Youth involvement in terrorism is increasing in the West, with youths under eighteen accounting for one in five terror suspects. The epicenter of terrorism is the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for over half of all global terrorism deaths. In 2024, conflict deaths in the Sahel reached the highest level recorded since the inception of the GTI.
This map depicts the prevalence of terrorist attacks near gold mines in the Sahel region. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: ReliefWeb
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Brazil
Five Days of Carnival Celebrations
On Friday, Rio de Janeiro’s mayor handed over the key to the city to 28-year-old Kaio Mackenzie, opening Mackenzie’s five-day reign over the festivities as the ceremonial King Momo. Momo’s tenure is symbolic of society being turned upside down during Carnival. Brazil, renowned for hosting the world’s most iconic Carnival celebrations in Rio, generated over USD $2 billion in revenue during this year’s festive season. Brazilian Carnival is rooted in Roman Catholic pre-Lenten festivals and African traditions, including samba rhythms, drumming, and dance. Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean also have Carnival festivities. Street parties had already swept through Rio’s streets in the lead-up to Carnival, but the five-day celebrations included almost 500 city-authorized bashes, and hundreds more unofficial parties. Between Sunday and Tuesday, Rio’s 12 top samba schools presented their Carnival parades at the city’s Sambadrome in front of 70,000 spectators.
This map depicts Brazilian carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Salvador, and Sao Paulo. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the name of the submerged land that once connected what is now Great Britain to mainland Europe?
A: Doggerland
As recently as 20,000 years ago, the terrain that became the British Isles was linked to mainland Europe by Doggerland, a tract of now-submerged territory where early Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) hunter-gatherers lived, settled and traveled during and after the last Ice Age. Doggerland was a rich, marshy landscape that provided a haven for diverse wildlife and early human communities, who took advantage of its abundant natural resources for hunting, foraging, and eventually, settlement. The varied landscapes of Doggerland—including wetlands, woodlands, and open plains—provided abundant food sources like fish, shellfish, wild game, and edible plants. As the climate warmed at the end of the Ice Age, the ice sheets began to melt. The rising sea levels inundated Doggerland, turning it into the shallow, submerged seabed of today’s southern North Sea.
Source
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Q: What is the name for the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, home to 30% of the world’s coral reefs?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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