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Myanmar
Rebel Forces Seize Key Towns
An alliance of rebel forces in Myanmar known as the Brotherhood Alliance has taken several key towns from the country’s military regime in recent weeks, marking the most successful challenge to the junta that seized power in 2021. On Wednesday, the commander in chief of the government armed forces said the military had lost control of three towns in Shan State and was committed to taking “counter-terrorist” actions, but it has made little progress. The alliance and the National Unity Government, the shadow civilian government, said as of Friday they had seized seven towns in Shan State and three others in the central Sagaing region. Together, these territorial gains cover almost 3,100 square miles (8,000 km sq). The junta is now on the verge of losing control of its most important border crossings to China, representing more than 40 percent of cross-border trade critical for tax revenue.
This map depicts Shan State, the region of Myanmar where rebel forces are seizing control over the military junta. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron’s
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Panama
Mine Protests Turn Deadly
Anti-mining protests that have roiled Panama for the last two weeks turned deadly on Tuesday. An American man was captured on camera shooting and killing two men who were part of a contingent of demonstrators who had blocked a road. For weeks, tens of thousands of protestors have been voicing opposition to a mining contract given to Minera Panama, the local subsidiary of a Canadian mining company, to extract copper. The contract allows Canada’s First Quantum Minerals to restart an open-pit copper mine surrounded by rain forest for the next 20 years, with the possibility of extending for another 20 years. Environmentalists say the mine could contaminate drinking water and devastate tracts of the 32,000 acres granted to company in the contract in exchange for yearly payments of $375 million. Panama’s government has promised, however, that the mine will bring thousands of jobs and badly needed revenue.
This map depicts the location of the Cobre Panama mine, the contract for which has been the subject of widespread protests in Panama. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Mongabay
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Japan
Volcano Creates New Island
A series of eruptions of an undersea volcano off of the coast of Iwo Jima has led to the birth of the world’s newest island. The volcanic activity has now subsided, and for now it appears its foundation are not currently stable enough to resist wave erosion that could make the island disappear. However, if more lava is produced by the volcano, a solid enough foundation could form to keep the island above water and intact. This island has formed in a similar fashion to nearby Nishinoshima, which emerged in 2013 and grew to have a diameter of about 1.2 miles (2 km) before merging with another island in the Ogasawara chain. The opportunities to observe this kind of geologic activity are rare, and provide an interesting case study about volcanic activity.
This map depicts the location of a newly formed island in Japanese waters. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the world’s largest supply of what key metal in the production of lithium-ion batteries?
A: Cobalt
Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) cobalt deposits began to be laid down on the bed of a shallow, ancient sea 800 million years ago. Although the country has more cobalt reserves than the rest of the planet combined, current mining activity there is raising an array of environmental and humanitarian issues. These days, most of the cobalt in southern Congo comes from industrial mines, which are largely owned by Chinese companies. While many Congolese have taken jobs at industrial mines in the region, others have become “artisanal diggers,” or creuseurs — freelance workers who do extremely dangerous labor for the equivalent of just a few dollars a day. Using basic hand tools, miners dig out rocks from tunnels deep underground, and accidents are common. Despite the potentially fatal health effects of prolonged exposure to cobalt, adult and child miners work without even the most basic protective equipment. Cobalt is heavily in demand worldwide as it’s necessary to prevent lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which power everything from cell phones to electric cars, from catching fire.
Source
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Q: What country has the largest forest cover in Europe, roughly 70% of its total surface area?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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