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Indonesia
Wildfires Rage in Ten Provinces
Indonesia intensified its ground and aerial firefighting operations Monday as huge blazes in central and western regions scorched wide areas of forests and peatland. Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia often face seasonal wildfires, but worsening conditions have led residents to describe the land as a “smoking cigarette” as recent fires have burned over 89,000 acres (36,000 hectares) in 10 provinces. Indonesia’s severe forest fires come as an intensifying El Nino pattern causes a prolonged dry season, leading to dry vegetation and low soil moisture, which is exacerbated by human activities. Indonesian police have arrested 72 people suspected of starting some of the forest and peatland fires, while four companies are under investigation for allegedly using fire to clear land at low cost. Peatlands, wetland ecosystems with regularly waterlogged soil that stops plants from fully decaying, are one of Indonesia’s most at-risk natural ecosystems. Peatlands are rich in carbon but extremely flammable during droughts or dryness.
This map depicts the Forest Fire Hot Spots Distribution Map of Indonesia. Click on the map to learn more.
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South Korea
U.S. Cancels Marine Drills
The United States has canceled a joint amphibious landing exercise with South Korean forces that was set for next month, citing resource constraints driven by the war in Iran, the South Korean military announced Monday. The U.S. Marine Corps had notified its South Korean counterpart in June that Middle East operational demands would prevent the deployment of forces for the biennial exercise known as Ssangyong, or “Twin Dragons,” the South Korean Marine Corps said on Monday. The U.S. military in Korea did not immediately comment on the announcement. The move marked the second joint military drill with South Korea to be canceled or downsized during President Trump’s second term. The decision has intensified doubts over Washington’s commitment to maintaining a credible deterrent on the Korean Peninsula and its capacity to manage concurrent global conflicts, as U.S. weapons stockpiles fall.
This map depicts U.S.-controlled overseas bases in operation for at least 15 years, as well as other sites with U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Click on the map to learn more.
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Egypt
Ancient Shark Graveyard
A large-scale shark fossil assemblage estimated to have formed approximately 100 million years ago has been discovered in the heart of Egypt’s Western Desert. The find is being hailed as definitive evidence that this now extremely arid region was once a shallow sea with a rich marine ecosystem during the Cretaceous period, approximately 145 million to 66 million years ago. The team identified five separate shark species from the 14 newly discovered teeth. Combined with two species reported in previous studies, the total number of sharks identified in the Abu Tartur region now stands at at least seven species. However, sediment accumulation on the Abu Tartur Plateau was limited at the time, so fossils formed during different periods and under different ecological conditions may have been buried together within a single stratum, meaning the seven species may not have inhabited the area at the same time.
This map shows how oceans once covered Egypt and where shark fossils have been located. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which is India’s smallest state in terms of area?
A: Goa
The smallest state of India is Goa, which has an area of 1,429 square miles (3,702 square kilometers). It consists of a mainland district on the country’s southwestern coast and an offshore island. Goa is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Indian states of Maharashtra on the north and Karnataka on the east and south. The state capital, Panaji (Panjim), lies on the coast of the mainland district. Before becoming part of India, Goa was ruled by Portugal for hundreds of years. Under the Portuguese the hub of the region was long the city of Goa, which is now known as Old Goa. For the most part, only ruins remain there today. Although many Goans have Portuguese names, Portuguese is no longer widely spoken in the state. The major languages include Konkani, Marathi, and English.
Source
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Q: What is the name of the prominent large gulf indenting the northern coast of Libya along the Mediterranean Sea?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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