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Russia
Putin Claims Recapture of Kursk
Russia claims its forces have recaptured three key settlements in the Kursk region. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that units of the Sever group of forces recaptured the settlements of Melovoy, Podol, and Sudzha during the offensive. The key city of Sudzha was captured by Ukraine last August when a surprise offensive was launched into Russian territory to divert Russian forces away from the front lines in Ukraine’s east. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that remaining Ukrainian soldiers have been trapped in western Kursk, and the territory is completely under Russian control. A top commander from Ukraine this week denied that his soldiers were being encircled.
This map depicts the territories controlled by Russia and Ukraine in the Kursk region, as of March 13, 2025. It shows areas which have been recaptured or advanced upon. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Anadolu Agency
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Syria
Temporary Constitution Signed
Yesterday, Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a temporary constitution that will be in place for a five year transitional period. Three months ago, al-Sharaa’s forces, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, toppled former president Bashar al-Assad’s government. Like the previous constitution, this document is based in Islamic law as the main source of jurisprudence and stipulates that the head of state must be Muslim. The new constitution says Syria is “committed to combatting all forms of violent extremism while respecting rights and freedoms” and that “citizens are equal before the law in rights and duties, without discrimination based on race, religion, gender or lineage.”
This map depicts assessed control of terrain in Syria as of yesterday. Click on the map to learn more.
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Spain
Western Europe’s Oldest Humans
Scientists have uncovered what is believed to be the oldest fossil of an extinct human species ever found in Western Europe in Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains. As described in the article published in Nature, the face bones of a human dated to between 1.2 and 1.4 million years ago were unearthed in a cave called Sima del Elefante (Pit of the Elephant). The fragments are insufficient to match to a known species of human ancestor, but bear strong resemblance to fossils of Homo erectus. This find is significant for adding further detail to the timeline for the expansion of hominin species after leaving Africa around 2 million years ago. They were known to have been present in the south Caucasus roughly 1.8 million years ago, and this new find now establishes their presence in far Western Europe, with changing facial features, around 1.2 million years ago.
This map depicts the migration route believed to have been used by early humans leaving Africa, passing through the south Caucasus before heading west into Europe. A new fossil find places these early hominins in Spain roughly 1.2 million years ago. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What valley is the most densely populated area in Central Asia?
A: Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley is the most densely populated part of Central Asia, with a population density of 1,600 people per square mile. This high population density is attributed to favorable agricultural conditions and the valley’s rich resources, making it a major producer of cotton, fruit, and raw silk. The Fergana Valley is between the Tien Shan and Gissar and Alay mountain systems, lying mainly in eastern Uzbekistan and partly in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The roughly triangular valley has an area of 8,500 square miles (22,000 square km). Sedentary agriculture has been practiced for many centuries in the Fergana Valley, which also lay on one of the main trade routes to China.
Source
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Q: What country is equidistant from the westernmost part of Europe, Portugal’s Atlantic Coast, and the most easterly part, the Ural Mountains?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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