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Africa
Migration Impacts
Tens of thousands of migrants are trapped in dangerous conditions at border crossings across Africa as countries tighten restrictions in an attempt to stem the increasing spread of COVID-19. This map by the International Organization for Migration shows the Eastern Corridor, a heavily-trafficked migration route between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Millions are threatened with hunger in East Africa amidst ongoing conflicts as well as new locust swarms affecting the growing season. Migrants are stranded in harsh conditions at overcrowded transit centers and makeshift quarantine camps, leaving them extremely vulnerable to the threat of coronavirus. The World Health Organization fears that the African continent could become the next epicenter of the global virus outbreak.
This map depicts the status of points of entry in the East and Horn of Africa Region. All COVID-19 updates will be displayed in a red box.
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Philippines
Typhoon Strikes
The first typhoon of the year hit the Philippines yesterday causing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents mid-pandemic. An estimated 200,000 have been entirely displaced by Typhoon Vongfong due to flooding, power outages, as well as the physical destruction of homes and other buildings. There has been one reported death. In order to maintain social distancing measures, officials are encouraging residents to stay with family or friends rather than come to the emergency shelters which have been recently transformed into COVID-19 quarantine facilities. On average, twenty typhoons reach the Philippines each year, and to prepare for future storms, double the amount of school buildings are becoming emergency shelters. After leaving the Philippines, the typhoon has been downgraded to a tropical storm that now approaches the Eastern coast of Taiwan, where ships have already been warned about the incoming threat.
This map depicts the path of Typhoon Vongfong. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Focus Taiwan
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Tanzania
Fossilized Footprints Found
In a new study published in Nature Scientific Reports on Thursday, scientists announced the largest human fossil footprint site in Africa was discovered in Engare Sero, just south of Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania. The prints were first discovered in the volcanic mud landscape by a member of the nearby Maasai community. Analysis of the 408 footprints dating between 19,100 and 5,760 years ago show the prints belonged to 14 adult females, two adult males, and one juvenile male. According to the study, the females who made the tracks were most likely foraging together and were visited or accompanied by the males, which could indicate a division of labor based on sex in ancient human communities. The scientific team stated find provides a “tantalizing snapshot” of modern humans living in East Africa in the Late Pleistocene
This map depicts the location of where the footprints were discovered. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Dubbed the “Sands of Hell” by 15th Century Portuguese explorers, which country is home to the infamous Skeleton Coast?
A: Namibia
The so-called Skeleton Coast is a 40 km wide and 500 km long coastal stretch in Namibia, a hostile but fascinating area. The name Skeleton Coast derived most probably from the huge numbers of stranded whales that lost their life here and whose skeletons could be seen all over the place. Numerous ships have stranded at the Skeleton Coast thanks to the thick fog, the rough sea, unpredictable currents, and stormy winds. The sailors who were able to make it to the land often did not stand a chance of survival at this inhospitable coast and died of thirst.
Source
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Q: At a length of approximately 2,705 miles, Southeast Asia’s longest river flows through how many countries?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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