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Europe
Extreme Heatwave and Wildfires
The continent of Europe has faced an extremely brutal heatwave this summer, with multiple countries breaking record temperatures, thousands of excess deaths reported by governments, and an extreme risk of wildfires, which have already burned through parts of Spain, Greece, Portugal and France. Multiple countries saw temperatures going above 100°F (37°C) with France seeing temperatures as high as 117°F (47°C), and Spain hitting (110°F) (43°F). Over 1,000 heat-related deaths have been recorded in these two countries. Extreme heat has also been linked to wildfires, including an outbreak in the Fontainebleau Forest outside of Paris, forcing over 1,000 nearby residents to evacuate. A recent devastating wildfire in Almeria, Spain resulted in 13 deaths. The casualties of the heatwave come as the continent faces unprecedented warming due to human-induced climate change.
This map depicts temperature anomalies across the European continent in the past month. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Grist
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Spain – United Kingdom
Gibraltar Border Fence Removed
An agreement that takes effect today will effectively dissolve border restrictions between Spain and Gibraltar, considered the last barrier to land movements in Western Europe. Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, found itself in a difficult position following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. Although the border has existed since 1908, Brexit left uncertainty over its future, despite the fact that an estimated 15,000 people cross it every day. The new agreement promises to make the border even more fluid than it was before Brexit, effectively bringing Gibraltar into the EU’s free travel area. Locals and tourists moving across the land border will now experience passport-free travel. External immigration and customs checks for arrivals from outside the Schengen area have moved to Gibraltar’s airport and seaport, jointly managed by Gibraltar and Spanish officials.
This map depicts the border between Spain and Gibraltar, a small British Overseas Territory on Iberia’s southern coast. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Guardian
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United States
2 National Monuments Reduced
U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders to reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah, that will cut more than 3 million acres of protected public land down to 302,600 acres. The reductions follow Trump’s 2017 actions previously reducing the monuments, which President Joe Biden later reversed. In 2017, Bears Ears was reduced from 1.3 million acres to about 228,000 acres, while Grand Staircase-Escalante was cut from 1.9 million acres to about 1 million. The Trump administration says the reductions return control to local communities to better align public lands with mining, drilling, and grazing, however tribal leaders said they were not consulted before the latest decision. The changes are set to take effect in 60 days.
This map depicts the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments in Utah, set to be reduced by an executive order. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What Caribbean country’s name derives from the Indigenous Arawak word for “Mountainous Land”?
A: Haiti
The most mountainous country in the Caribbean, the Republic of Haiti, comprises the western three-eighths of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic. The generally rugged topography of central and western Hispaniola is reflected in Haiti’s name, which derives from the Indigenous Arawak place-name Ayti (“Mountainous Land”); about two-thirds of the total land area is above 1,600 feet (490 meters) in elevation. The backbone of the island of Hispaniola consists of four major mountain ranges that extend from west to east. Fertile valleys are interspersed between the mountain ranges forming vast areas of contrast between elevations in many areas throughout the territory.
Source
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Q: What is the name of the flat-topped mountain (tepui, mesa) where the borders of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela meet?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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