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Pakistan
Suicide Blast Targets Dam Project
A suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into another vehicle Tuesday, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver. The attack happened in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The five Chinese nationals killed were construction workers and engineers heading to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on Baluch separatists, who have claimed previous such attacks. Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Shangla on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which includes a number of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture. The project is a key part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global endeavor aimed at reconstituting the Silk Road. Chinese laborers working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have come under attack in recent years, as separatist groups aim to disrupt Islamabad’s close ties with Beijing.
This map depicts the location of the China-funded Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in Pakistan, where a suicide blast killed six workers on their way to the construction site. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Dengue Epidemic in Puerto Rico
An epidemic of dengue fever has been declared in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The territory’s Department of Health reports more than 349 hospitalizations and 549 cases. An epidemic occurs when the number of new cases of a disease increases quickly and exceeds the number of average cases. Compared to the same period in 2023, cases of dengue fever in Puerto Rico have increased by 140 percent. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, fever, and rash. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a “Frequent/Continuous” level of risk for travelers to Puerto Rico. The last epidemic declared in the U.S. territory was in 2012. Health officials state the increase in dengue fever cases in the Western Hemisphere has been linked to the combination of greater rainfall, humidity, and heat influenced by climate change.
This map depicts global dengue fever risk, concentrated among countries along the equator. Click on the map to learn more.
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Brazil
Petroglyphs & Dinosaur Tracks
A team of archaeologists and paleontologists have shared their findings from a site in rural eastern Brazil where ancient artists were apparently inspired by preserved dinosaur tracks. The site in Sousa municipality, called Serrote do Letreiro, was already known as an ideal location to find footprints from ornithopods, theropods, and sauropods as old as 40 million years. But a recent excursion found a “remarkable” assemblage of petroglyphs – human rock drawings and carvings – along with the footprints. Humans have inhabited the area going back 10,000 years ago, and the researchers confirmed the petroglyphs are at least 2,000 years old. The proximity of the petroglyphs to the footprints suggest “active engagement” by the artists with the fossils. While the ancient humans would have had no understanding of dinosaurs, they might have believed the preserved footprints were related to rheas, the largest birds in Brazil, which are native to the area.
This map depicts the location in Brazil where a team of archaeologists and paleontologists discovered human-made petroglyphs from thousands of years ago in close proximity to preserved dinosaur footprints as old as 40 million years. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What geographical feature divides Romania into two watersheds?
A: Balkan Mountains
The Balkan Mountain range, known locally as Stara Planina, is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. It then runs for about 350 mi (560 km), first in a south-easterly direction along the border, then eastward across Bulgaria, forming a natural barrier between the northern and southern halves of the country, before finally reaching the Black Sea. The Balkan Mountains form the major divide between the Danube River (north) and the Maritsa River (south) and are crossed by about 20 passes, by several railway lines, and by the Iskŭr River. The Danube River drains into the Black Sea, while the Maritsa River drains into the Aegean Sea.
Source
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Q: What two islands make up nine-tenths of the land area of the Pacific Islands?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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