Afghanistan
Kabul Blast
During the height of Wednesday morning rush hour, a suicide bomb hidden in a sewage tanker ripped through central Kabul, the Afghan capital. Afghan officials report at least 80 dead and more than 300 injured. The devastating attack took place in one of the most heavily guarded areas of Kabul containing numerous embassies. The blast, which occurred a few days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was one of the deadliest to hit the Afghan capital in recent years. The force of the blast has been compared to that of an earthquake and officials stated the detonation left a crater as deep as 13 feet. The Taliban, who have been gaining territory in the countryside recently, denied responsibility for the attack and no other militant group has yet to claim responsibility.
This map displays the detonation site of the suicide bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan. Click on the map to learn more about the tanker blast.
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United States
World Changing Decision
Senior White House officials have stated that President Donald Trump plans to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. The Paris Climate Accord has been signed by all states except Syria and Nicaragua to work together to lower carbon emissions and the effects of greenhouse gasses. Legally ratified in 2016, the climate deal has been considered by many as a landmark victory in the fight against global climate change. Mr. Trump is citing his campaign pledges to his supporters and the fact that pulling out of the agreement will bring more jobs to the U.S. and help the economy. Many believe this to be a severe foreign policy mistake, including Mr. Trump’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and close advisor Ivanka Trump. They and other critics have cited the unknown environmental ramifications of leaving the agreement and the lack of leverage in brokering future deals as their main concern. Experts have predicted leaving the Paris agreement will cause climate changes that will affect not only the U.S. but the entire world. However, this decision is not yet final. White House Officials have explicitly stated that the official decision has not been reached, but all evidence indicates Mr. Trump’s intentions regarding the climate deal.
This map depicts the countries in blue that originally signed the Paris Agreement in 2016 and those that didn’t in gray. The US is poised to be the only major power to not be a part of the agreement. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC (2)
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California
A Big Step for Homeland Security
Earlier today, the Pentagon was successful in shooting down a test ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) marking a big step towards the bolstering of U.S. Defenses especially with the growing nuclear threats from countries such as North Korea and Iran. The anti-air missile was fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and intercepted the mock missile over the Pacific Ocean, successfully taking it out of commission. Having been funded $40 billion since 2002, the Missile Defense Agency is glad to have shown results that justify the price tag. However, Phillip E. Coyle, a senior fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, is still not fully content with the current missile system: “It marks two successes in a row, which is significant, but only two hits out of the last five attempts; that is, only a 40% success rate since early 2010…” He believes that the system is still not fully reliable in the presence of a real missile threat. While the Pentagon states that ground-based interceptor system test is not solely about North Korea, the recent displays of nuclear advancement from the country highlight a need for a proper defense system to respond to an attack.
This map shows the Vandenberg Air Force Base from which the successful ICBM anti-air missile was fired. Click on the map to learn more about Vandenberg Air Force Base.
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A Cartographer Maps Gotham
Gotham City is the dark comic book metropolis of alleys, asylums, caves, mansions, and home to the world’s greatest detective and masked vigilante, Batman. This map of Gotham City was made by Eliot R. Brown in 1998 when he was commissioned to make this drawing as part of a Batman comic where Gotham City is hit by an earthquake and the Batcave is almost completely destroyed. Although Gotham is largely based on Manhattan, the shape of Gotham is very different from the New York City most of us know. Some similarities between Manhattan and Gotham are that Wall Street is on the lower side and both cities are on islands. However, on the Gotham map, the city is cut by three rivers that run East to West, dividing the island into three equal parts. The map of Gotham City is a great example of how even the world of superheroes and crime-fighters, understanding geographic location is an important part of storytelling.
Click on the map to read more about Eliot R. Brown’s Gotham City. |
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Q: Somewhere in the world, there is an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island surrounded by ocean. Where is this island located?
A: Northern Philippines
Vulcan Island is truly one of a kind. On Luzon Island, the northernmost main island of the Philippines, there is Taal Lake. Situated in Taal Lake is Taal Volcano. Taal Volcano’s crater is itself filled with water, making it an elevated lake. And inside Taal Volcano’s crater is another small island called Vulcan Island, making it an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in the middle of the ocean.
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Q: Most have heard of the Aurora Borealis, but this phenomenon occurs in the Southern Hemisphere as well. What is it called in the south?
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s DailyGeo where we reveal the correct answer!
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