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Pakistan
Blasts in Balochistan Before Vote
Two explosions near electoral candidates’ offices in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan killed 26 people and wounded dozens on Wednesday, raising concerns over security on the eve of parliamentary elections. The pair of bombings occurred at the election offices of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) political party and an independent candidate. JUI is a leading radical Islamist party known for backing the Afghan Taliban. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. The bombings came despite the deployments of tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces to ensure peace following a recent surge in militant attacks, especially in Balochistan. The gas-rich province has seen an insurgency by Baloch nationalists for over 20 years, with a strong presence of the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups since the Taliban took power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
This map depicts the locations of two bomb explosions which killed 26 people in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on the eve of general elections. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC News
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Belgium
EU Drops Pesticide Limit
The European Union has rescinded a proposal to cut pesticide use following weeks of protests by farmers throughout the bloc. Farmers across the European Union have been holding protest actions over multiple regulatory moves both by the central EU authority and at the level of individual member governments. The protest actions have typically taken the form of tractor blockades that have caused significant transport disruptions in multiple cities. Part of the European Green Deal, the proposal that was dropped targeted a 50% reduction in pesticide use by the year 2030. Other issues driving farmer protests in the EU include the loss of tax subsidies on fuel and protection from cheaper agricultural products from countries outside the EU with less restrictive regulations.
This map depicts countries in Europe that have been affected by protest actions by farmers, with specific locations where protests have been held in the most-affected countries of Germany, France, Poland, and Romania. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Sharp Rise in Syphilis Cases
The number of syphilis cases in the United States has skyrocketed to levels last seen in the 1950’s. Syphilis is the sexually transmitted disease (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The year 2022 saw the biggest rise in cases as the COVID-19 pandemic hindered public health programs. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an 80 percent increase in syphilis cases since the year 2018, and in states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, the rates of syphilis infections have doubled. Public health officials urge an immediate investment in testing and treatment, as well as sexual education. The CDC’s Healthy People 2030 program aims to reduce the rate of syphilis in women from 102.5 to 4.6 per 100,000.
This map depicts reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis among women ages 15-44 years by county. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What state is home to North America’s largest swamp?
A: Louisiana
At almost a million acres, Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp, is the largest wetland and swamp in North America. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge. The Louisiana’s wetlands are water-saturated coastal and swamp regions in the southern part of the state, often called ‘Bayou’. Louisiana is the drainage gateway to the Gulf of Mexico for the Lower Mississippi Regional Watershed, which drains more than 24 million acres (97,000 km2) in seven states. Atchafalaya Swamp contains the largest contiguous block of forested wetlands remaining (about 35%) in the lower Mississippi River valley and the largest block of floodplain forest in the United States. It is most well-known for its largest remaining contiguous tract of coastal cypress in the United States.
Source
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Q: The predecessor to the Silk Road was an ancient trade route through what ecoregion?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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