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Pakistan
Fighting in Balochistan
The government of Pakistan claims to have killed 145 “Indian-backed terrorists” in a counter-insurgency campaign in the restive province of Balochistan. Pakistani authorities launched the campaign in response to militant attacks in the province that killed 33 people, including 18 civlians and 15 security officers. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has been waging a separatist campaign for years, claimed responsibility for the Saturday attacks. Pakistani authorities say the BLA is driven by foreign interference from India, even calling the BLA the “Fitna al-Hindustan.” The province is also an outpost of the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP. Balochistan is a huge but thinly-populated province rich in mineral resources and critically situated for Pakistan’s plans for economic partnership with China. Long-term complaints of government corruption mean many residents believe development plans will do more to enrich outsiders than locals.
This map depicts locations of attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army since 2024. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
200+ Killed in Mine Collapse
A coltan ore mine collapsed last week in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the town of Rubaya in North Kivu province. There are 227 confirmed dead as of last Friday, January 30th, with recovery efforts still ongoing. Heavy rains triggered a landslide last Wednesday, causing the collapse and a thick layer of mud to cover the site. Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group which controls the North Kivu province, informed media of the collapse and said the rebel-appointed governor has temporarily halted the site’s artisanal mining and ordered the relocation of residents who built shelters near the mine. The mine produces approximately 15% of the world’s coltan, an ore processed into tantalum. Tantalum is a corrosion and heat-resistant metal in high demand for the production of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines.
This map depicts the location of the collapsed coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Guardian
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Antarctica
Landscape Under Ice Revealed
Recent research has revealed the landscape under Antarctica’s ice in unprecedented detail, something scientists say could greatly enhance our understanding of the frozen continent. Researchers used satellite data and physics of how Antarctica’s glaciers move to map out what the continent might look like beneath the ice. In this most complete, detailed map of the hidden landscape of Antarctica, researchers found evidence of thousands of previously undiscovered hills and ridges, and further defined the topography of its hidden mountain ranges. Traditional measurements from the ground or air have used radar to “see” beneath the ice, which is up to three miles (4.8 km) thick in places, along survey lines or tracks. This new approach with satellites provides more even coverage in much further detail. These maps are a valuable step forward in filling in the gaps between surveys and improving computer models of future Antarctica.
This map depicts the landscape of Antarctica under the ice. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which South Asian country is known for having six seasons instead of four, with its New Year beginning in summer?
A: Bangladesh
Most people experience four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall/autumn. However, those four don’t extend to every place on earth. Because of the equatorial location of the tropics, that zone only experiences two seasons: wet and dry. Areas near the Indian Ocean generally experience three seasons: winter, summer, and monsoon. For various reasons, including agriculture, commerce, and cultural tradition, Bangladesh divides these three seasons into six: summer (grisma), monsoon (bars), autumn (sharat), late autumn (hemanta), winter (sheet), and spring (basalt). The Bengali year begins with summer, from the equivalent of mid-April to mid-June, when the weather is hot and dry with the occasional violent storm.
Source
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Q: Attracting many celebrities to live on its shores, what lake is the largest in Switzerland?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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