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Indonesia
Smoke Clouds Southeast Asia
Wildfires burning across Indonesia have created a toxic haze that has spread into Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, exposing millions to dangerous air pollution. More than 50,000 respiratory infections were recorded in July and August; in some areas, pollution has reached more than 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization. The fires have been burning across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo, with the severity of the wildfires rooted in decades of land-use change, as rainforests and peatlands have been cleared for logging, plantations, and large-scale development. Indonesia’s peatlands are especially dangerous under extreme dry conditions as they store large amounts of carbon accumulated over thousands of years, which can be rapidly released when the land is drained or burned. Experts warn that dought conditions could worsen as this year’s “Super El Niño” intensifies, with one estimate suggesting that as much as 27 million acres (11 million hectares) could burn this year.
This map depicts the spread of smoke from wildfires in Indonesia across Southeast Asia, reaching parts of Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC News
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Argentina
Falklands Sovereignty Dispute
Argentina’s President Javier Milei has reawakened the longstanding dispute with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands by reaffirming the country’s claims to the self-governing British Overseas Territory and threatening sanctions against offshore oil companies operating there. In a televised speech, Milei said Argentina “needs to recover” the islands, which have been under British control since 1833 and were the subject of the 1982 Falklands War, a conflict that claimed 904 lives. He announced a plan to increase funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego to strengthen Argentina’s military presence near the islands. Milei also introduced economic penalties to disrupt the Sea Lion oil project, located about 140 miles (220 km) north of the Falkland Islands, inside of the exclusive economic zone based on Argentina’s claimed sovereignty over the Falklands. The project involves British company Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum. Milei’s remarks follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s noncommittal response regarding potential U.S. support for Britain in any future conflict over the islands.
This map depicts the Falkland Islands’ location in the South Atlantic, near Argentina, shaping the sovereignty dispute between Buenos Aires and London. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Sun
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World
UN to Vote on New World Map
The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution for its agencies to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favor of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size. The Togo-sponsored and African Union-backed campaign challenges the Mercator projection rooted in the history of colonial exploration and maritime trade, which exaggerates the area of North America and Eurasia while under-representing the size of much of South America and Africa. Togo’s #CorrectTheMap campaign promotes the use of the 2018 Equal Earth design, which was developed by an international team of cartographers to address the distortions found in the Mercator projection and depicts the relative surface areas of the continents more accurately. No flat map can preserve every geographic property, so different maps serve different purposes. Equal Earth is useful for comparing land area, climate, and land use, while Mercator remains useful for navigation. If adopted, schools, digital map platforms, and other institutions would be encouraged to adopt the Equal Earth projection.
This map shows the world using the Equal Earth projection, which preserves the relative sizes of countries and continents more accurately. Click on the map to learn more.
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 Global powers are already angling for advantageous positions to leverage Africa’s growing population and abundant resources, but the populations of the world’s second-largest continent have their own agendas and priorities to direct their development. Join the American Geographical Society this November 19 & 20 in New York City to learn how geographical thinking and geospatial technology inform these discussions at Geography 2050: Africa Shaping the Future.
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Q: Often described as the “spine” of the Korean Peninsula, which major mountain range runs along the eastern coast of both North and South Korea?
A: Taebaek Mountains
The Taebaek Mountains are the main ridge of the Korean Peninsula, stretching along the coast of the East Sea (Sea of Japan), north to Hwangnyong Mountain (4,160 feet [1,268 meters]), North Korea, and continuing south as the Gyeongsang Range to Dadaepo, a suburb of Busan, South Korea. The Taebaek range is 300 miles (500 km) long and averages 2,600–3,300 feet (790–1,000 meters) in height. Peaks include Kumgang (5,374 feet [1,638 meters]), Seorak (5,604 feet [1,708 meters]), Odae (5,128 feet [1,563 meters]), and Taebaek (5,121 feet [1,561 meters]). The eastern side of the range forms a steep fault line to the coast, but the western side forms a gentle incline. South Korea’s most important rivers, among them the Han, Nakdong, and Geum, originate in the Taebaek Mountains.
Source
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Q: What geographical feature represents Russia’s “land of fire and ice” and hosts the highest active volcano in Eurasia?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Tueday’s DailyGeo.
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