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Germany
Thirty Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall was erected beginning in 1961 as a means of preventing East Germans from traveling into the western part of the city and country. The wall had separated neighborhoods and cut through streets, dividing the city. On November 9, 1989, a spokesperson for the East German government announced that citizens would be permitted to travel to West Germany following large pro-democracy protests. After the announcement in 1989, East Germans began to dismantle the wall, marking the symbolic end of the Cold War and the beginning of the reunification of Germany. Thirty years later, world leaders are gathering to commemorate the fall of the Iron Curtain at various events throughout the country.
This map depicts the route of the Berlin Wall, former checkpoints, and remaining sections. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Australian
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Iran
Deadly Earthquake Hits Northwest
An earthquake struck the northwestern Iranian county of Tark early Friday morning. The earthquake measured a magnitude of 5.9 and killed at least 5 people. Iran estimates the earthquake injured over 300 more. 30 homes were destroyed in the quake, and emergency services have been sent to the area to distribute first aid and rescue services.The earthquake is estimated to have occurred at a depth of only 8 kilometers, a shallow depth that makes it potentially more destructive. Iran is situated along a major seismic fault line and has experienced large and destructive earthquakes in the past.
This map depicts the location of the earthquake’s epicenter, as well as the areas affected by the quake. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Daily Mail
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Arctic
Virus affecting Marine Mammals
A recent uptick in phocine distemper virus (PDV) deaths, – the measles equivalent for marine mammals- is raising concern among scientists that climate change may be the cause. A study published in Scientific American highlights a 15-year study with a positive correlation among PDV deaths and declines in Arctic sea ice. The scientists claim that a loss of sea ice invite marine mammals, such as seals, sea lions, and otters, to new environments, putting them in contact with the deadly disease. The virus was originally discovered in 1988 after thousands of sea lions washed up along the shores of northern Europe.
This map depicts potential routes for sea mammals with PDV to move. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What vast, arid region with an area of 2.3 million square kilometers lies along the border of China and Mongolia?
A: Gobi Desert
Meaning “waterless place” in Mongolian, the Gobi Desert is the world’s third-largest desert, stretching across huge portions of both Mongolia and China. Much of the Gobi is not sandy desert but bare rock and is approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long and 300 to 600 miles (500 to 1,000 km) wide.
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Q: Covering an area 53,000 square miles, which oil-rich region does Venezuela and Guyana have a decades-long dispute over?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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