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Afghanistan
Pakistan Accused of Air Strikes
The Taliban has accused Pakistan of killing five women and three children in two overnight airstrikes in Afghanistan. The strikes, assumed to be intended for fighters from the Pakistani Taliban, hit civilian homes. Although Pakistan has yet to comment, the attack comes after Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, vowed to “respond strongly” to the deaths of seven troops killed by unknown militants on Saturday. Pakistan’s military said these attacks were launched from Afghanistan and had the “full support and assistance” of the Taliban. A local government official said this morning’s attacks on Khost and Paktika provinces were in retaliation for Saturday’s deaths. The Taliban strongly condemned the “reckless action” as a violation of Afghanistan’s territory. Tensions have risen between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021.
This map depicts the Khost and Paktika provinces, where two deadly airstrikes said to have come from Pakistan killed eight women and children. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Iraq-Turkey
New Trade Route in Development
Turkey has announced new military action against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in northern Iraq before its development of a new road-rail trade route project called the Iraq Development Road. At a cost of $17 billion, the Iraq Development Road promises to create 100,000 jobs by adding a new trade route between Asia and Europe. The proposed project comes in response to the global disruption of trade by Houthi attacks on shipping to and from the Suez Canal, and is a competitor to a similar scheme being developed by Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Recognized as a terrorist organization, the PKK is seen as a threat to the development of the road-rail project by Turkey. Both Iraq and Turkey seek to displace the PKK from the western region of Iraqi Kurdistan to cut off their access to the city of Mosul and clear a path for the project.
This map depicts the new Iraq Development Road to be built in response to the disruption of trade routes crossing the Suez Canal. Click on the map to learn more.
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Mars
Mars May Affect Deep Sea Eddies
New research from the University of Sydney and Sorbonne University shows the gravitational force of Mars may affect the movement of deep sea water on Earth. Researchers drilled core samples of deep ocean sediments looking for sedimentary “breaks”. Breaks in the record show evidence of active ocean whirlpools and eddies. The researchers found the breaks to be clustered in a 2.4 million year cycle, matching perfectly with occasions where the orbits of Mars and Earth bring the two planets closest. This research indicates alternative ocean currents may take over from currents shut down by warming temperatures, as worries grow regarding the impact of climate change on deep sea ocean currents.
This map depicts the location of deep sea drilling sites across the world where researchers found patterns in sediment deposition that aligned with the orbital cycles of Earth and Mars. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the mountain range which divides the North Sea and Black Sea watersheds?
A: The Bohemian Forest
The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava and in German as Böhmerwald, is a low mountain range in Central Europe. They create a natural border between the Czech Republic on one side and Austria and Germany on the other. The Bohemian Forest comprises heavily forested mountains with average heights of 2,624 to 3,280 feet (800 to 1,400 meters). The Bohemian Forest is the dividing range between the watersheds of the Black Sea and the North Sea, where water collected by the Vltava, Otava, and Úhlava rivers flows. These rivers all spring from the Bohemian Forest. Owing to heavy precipitation (mostly snow), peat bogs, and Lipno Dam, the Šumava region is an important water reservoir for Central Europe.
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Q: What country is home to the world’s largest inland delta?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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