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Haiti
Gang Kidnaps US Missionaries
At least 17 U.S. missionaries and 1 Canadian were kidnapped from a bus on Saturday in Haiti, which included children, officials say. The group of missionaries were leaving an orphanage in Port-au-Prince when the kidnapping occurred. Haitian authorities have attributed the kidnapping to the notorious gang ‘400 Mawozo,’ which has been engaging in thefts and kidnappings in the border area between Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic. No official ransom has been declared by the group, although it can go up to $1 million per hostage. So far Haiti has experienced 600 kidnappings in 2021, a marked increase from 231 over the same period in the last year.
This map depicts the sequence of events leading to the kidnapping of the 17 U.S. missionaries while on the road to Port-au-Prince airport. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Daily Mail
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India
Torrential Rain Kills Over 35
At least 35 people are confirmed dead after southwestern India received significant amounts of torrential rain, triggering landslides and widespread flooding. According to the India Meteorological Department, over 10 inches (266 mm) of precipitation was recorded at a station in Kanjirappally, with some areas receiving over 11 inches (292 mm). With local dams near-overflowing, officials report some dams have been opened to allow the flow of water and keep them from breaking, despite how doing so exacerbates the flooding. More stormy weather is expected later this week, with the likelihood that the number of dead and missing will continue to rise.
This map depicts the accumulative precipitation in southwestern India, which has received significant amounts of rain in the past couple days. Click on the map to learn more.
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China
Hypersonic Missile Launched
A new report recently released by the Financial Times has detailed the test launch of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile by the Chinese military. The alleged launch, which took place in August, successfully circled the globe before missing its target by roughly 24 miles (39 km). According to the report, the test has caught the American military by surprise, as prior intelligence had not previously indicated that Chinese systems had reached this level of capability. If true, China is closing in on a missile system that can evade current American early warning and deterrence. This morning, the Chinese government denied the reports, saying the August launch was a test of reusable spacecraft technology. The Pentagon has not responded to the report.
This map depicts how a hypersonic missile launched from China could elude American missile defense systems. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Who was the world’s first known geographer, and where was he born?
A: Eratosthenes of Cyrene
Eratosthenes was born around 276 BCE in a Green colony in Cyrene, which today is modern-day Libya. He was an ancient Greek mathematician, poet, and astronomer who came to be known as the father of geography. As the head librarian at the Library of Alexandria, Eratosthenes wrote a comprehensive treaty about the world, calling it “Geography.” Among his many accomplishments, Eratosthenes made efforts to calculate the circumference of the Earth and its distance to the sun, and is considered to have created the first map of the world, paving the way for mathematicians, scientists, and geographers to come.
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Q: We all know the Great Barrier Reef to be the largest coral reef in the world. Extending 180 miles (290 km), where can you find the second largest coral reef in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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