20 May

Iraq: Rocket Attack

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Iraq
Rocket Attack
On Sunday night, a Katyusha rocket was fired into Baghdad’s Green Zone, a heavily fortified zone that houses government buildings, landing less than a mile from the U.S. Embassy. No one was killed, and no one has claimed responsibility yet. The attack came two weeks after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Iraqi leaders that if they did not keep Iran-backed militias in check, the U.S. would respond with force. Iran-U.S. tensions continue to flare as the U.S. sent warships and bombers to the region earlier this month to counter an alleged threat from Iran. Non-emergency personnel were also ordered to leave the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Consulate in Erbil last week.

This map depicts the location of where the rocket landed in Baghdad’s Green Zone. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: Associated Press
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Egypt
Explosion Targets Tourists
On Sunday, a bomb went off, breaking the glass of nearby cars and a tourist bus in Giza, Egypt. The incident occurred near the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the pyramids. There were 28 people on the tour bus, and 25 of them were South African. A private vehicle behind the bus with 4 people inside was also damaged. 17 people sustained minor injuries—10 Egyptian citizens and 7 South African tourists. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet. This explosion is the second in six months, causing concern for Egpyt’s tourism industry. 

This map depicts the location of the explosion relative to local tourism sites. Click on the map to learn more.

Further Reading: BBC, The New York TImes, CBC, Fox News, CNN
Graphic Source: AFP
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Tajikistan
Prison Riot
A prison riot that occurred in the city of Vakhdat left 29 inmates and 3 guards dead. The government blamed the riot on Islamic State (IS) militants as they killed the guards and released fellow IS convicts before turning on the other prisoners, killing 5 inmates and taking others hostage. Security forces killed the other 24 inmates while trying to restore order. This is the second deadly prison riot to occur in Tajikistan in the last 6 months. 

This map depicts the location of the city where the prison riot occurred. Click on the map to learn more.

Graphic Source: AFP

             

Friday’s Answer

Q: What country was originally called the Pepper Coast, and how did it get that name?

A: Liberia 
Liberia’s coastline was once referred to as the Pepper Coast, and sits between the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. Also known as the Grain Coast, all of Liberia was then given the nickname due to it’s abundance of Malagueta peppers, one of their main products.   

Source 

Today’s Question

 

Q: The Zagros mountain range was formed by the collision of which two tectonic plates?

Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.

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