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Canada-India
India Suspends Canadian Visas
India has suspended visa services for Canadians in response to “security threats” to Indian diplomatic facilities in Canada after Canadian intelligence tied the Indian government to the June killing of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia. The Indian government has denied this link, calling the accusation “absurd.” Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh Canadian citizen who was killed in June, was accused by the Indian government of being linked to terrorism, but he denied these allegations. This incident has disrupted the diplomacy between Canada and India, with each of the countries expelling a diplomat from the other country since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the allegation on Monday.
This map depicts the location of the Sikh temple near Vancouver outside of which Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot in June. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Japan
Metal Stolen From Fukushima
An investigation by the Japanese environmental ministry has discovered that scrap metal was stolen from the site of a library and museum undergoing demolition in the restricted zone around the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear plant. The metal has been sold for ¥900,000, or $6,000. Environmental ministry officials said the metal was part of the original frame of the building and did not yet undergo the routine of being scanned for radiation. Metals low in radiation can be used, while those high in radiation are stored at a facility or safely disposed of. Metal theft is a growing problem, including in nearby Chiba Prefecture where roadway safety barriers have been dismantled for metal. It is unknown how much radiation the stolen metals from the Fukushima zone possessed, nor their destination.
This map depicts the Fukushima Prefecture and the epicenter of the earthquake that shook the country in 2011. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Zambia
Oldest Wooden Structure Found
Archaeologists publishing their findings in a paper in the journal Nature claim to have unearthed the oldest-known human-built wooden structure near Kalambo Falls in Zambia. At around 476,000 years old, the structure was built by predecessors of Homo sapiens, possibly Homo heidelbergensis, and suggests higher cognitive ability than was previously ascribed to hominins of that period. The evidence consists of pieces of two trees clearly intentionally shaped to create a framework of interlocking supports. The time and effort required to create the structure indicates that its builders could settle in one place and take initiative to transform the living space for some time, showing that they didn’t live a fully nomadic lifestyle.
This map depicts the locations of archaeological digs in the area of Kalambo Falls, in Zambia, where the earliest-known pieces of a human-built wooden structure were discovered. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What highly sustainable agriculture system, particular to the geography of Mexico City, is featured in the Aztec codices?
A: Chinampa
Chinampas, or “floating gardens,” are an agricultural technique developed by the Aztecs around the 14th century in the Valley of Mexico, primarily in the shallow lakes of Xochimilco and Chalco. The region, now part of Mexico City, provided a fertile ground for the growth of the Aztec civilization. The chinampas were created by building small, rectangular plots of land on shallow lake beds. Often known as “floating gardens,” the man-made islands were built by braiding reeds with stakes below the water’s surface to form underwater fences. These “fences” would accumulate soil and aquatic vegetation up until the topsoil layer was exposed on the water’s surface. The canals encircled the chinampa plots, giving the impression that the areas of land were “floating” on the water. Due to the nutrient-rich materials used to construct them, they provided fertile soil that could support diverse crops such as maize, beans, squash, tomatoes, chili peppers, and even flowers. The water surrounding the chinampas provided a natural irrigation system, and the canals were home to fish and aquatic birds, creating a balanced ecosystem that supported both plant and animal life.
Source
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Q: What herb represents the historical border conflict between Haiti and the Dominican Republic?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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