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Ghana
COVAX Vaccine Delivery
Ghana became the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX distribution program. Over 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered earlier this morning, marking the start of Ghana’s largest immunization campaign in history. Ghana has stated the first people vaccinated will be healthcare workers, adults of 60, and people with underlying health conditions. COVAX is an organization that aims to procure and distribute free COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries. Led by the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, COVAX’s goal is to deliver two billion shots to more than 145 countries and territories around the world this year. According to this map from AFP, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria, will receive the highest number of doses from COVAX, totaling more than 97, 17, and 16 million doses respectively.
This map depicts projected global COVAX vaccine distribution. Click on the map to learn more.
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South Korea
North Korean Defector
South Korean troops failed to notice a North Korean man who crossed the border on February 16th, despite triggering alarms and being caught on TV cameras. Getting through the demilitarized zone (DMZ) is very rare and difficult, making this lapse in security a surprising feat. The man swam in a wetsuit, walked nearly two miles (3 km), spent approximately 3 hours undetected, and was featured on TV nine times before authorities took action. The man also passed through a drainage tunnel in the demilitarized zone that South Korean military officials claim they didn’t know existed. Officials say the soldier in charge of coastal surveillance was marking adjustments to the system and thought the alarms were an error. This is the second time since November 2020 where security concerns in the demilitarized zone have been raised.
This map depicts the demilitarized zone and area where the man crossed. Click on the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: AFP
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United States
Flood Insurance Costs to Rise
Most Americans are underpaying for flood insurance and rates need to rise by more than seven times their current level by 2050 to meet the projected economic impacts of increased flooding caused by climate change, according to research recently published by First Street Foundation. Premiums from National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – which provides the majority of flood insurance policies in the U.S. – need to quadruple for high-risk homes inside floodplains to meet current risk projections. First Street utilized cutting edge flood modeling techniques to map flood probability at the property level across the U.S. today and adjusted for projected climate change impacts through 2050. Homes with any flood risk in today’s environment were found to have an average estimated annual loss of $3,548, totaling $20.3 billion across the country. By 2050, those costs could rise more than 60%, reaching $7,563 and $32.3 billion, respectively. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which runs NFIP, is set to announce new premiums using risk projection models similar to those used by First Street.
This map depicts the change from 2021 to 2051 in estimated economic loss from flooding. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: With over 220 ancient pyramids dating back 4,600 years, which country is home to the world’s highest concentration of pyramids?
A: Sudan
Pyramids can be found throughout the world in large quantities. One of the most world-renowned places for these ancient structures is Egypt. While Egypt is home to over 100 pyramids, Sudan has well over 200. The pyramids in Sudan were built by members of the Kingdom of Kush, an ancient civilization that ruled areas along the Nile River from 1070 BC to 350 AD. Like the Egyptians, the Kushite pyramids were built to entomb their rulers and their royalties. Although Sudan has more pyramids, Egypt does have the bragging rights in terms of size. While the average height of a pyramid in Egypt is roughly 453 feet (138 meters), the ones in Sudan range from 20 to 98 feet tall (6 to 30 meters).
Source
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Q: Known as “Cotton Castle” in the local language, this UNESCO World Heritage Site, a series of hot springs stretching for over 8,860 ft (2,700 m), is the most visited tourist destination in which country?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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