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Russia-Ukraine
North Korean Troops Moving In
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has verified that North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, potentially to engage in combat with Ukrainian forces. Western and Ukrainian estimates of Russian losses in its war against Ukraine are currently around 600,000 killed or wounded. Despite increasing monetary incentives for enlistment, it is believed the Russian army is facing increasing difficulty in getting new soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Western intelligence experts believe North Korea may be offering soldiers to assist Russia in exchange for Russian help in developing North Korean military technologies and capabilities. Ukraine has been warning about the addition of North Korean troops to Russian forces for weeks, and insists that the solution is to end restrictions on the Ukrainian military’s ability to strike military targets deep in Russian territory. South Korea, which has stayed neutral in the conflict, stated it will potentially supply offensive weapons to Ukraine if North Korean soldiers engage in combat, and the United States pledged no new restrictions on arms provided to Ukraine.
This map depicts where North Korean soldiers have been reported deployed along the front line in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have taken Russian territory. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Sun
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Japan
2024 General Election
The parliamentary election on Sunday proved to be an upheaval for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s long-reigning ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition allies as they lost their majority. This election follows a public funding corruption scandal for leaders of the LDP, which tarnished their image and angered the public. LDP lawmakers were found pocketing millions of fundraiser money while households struggle with inflation, stagnant wages, and a lagging economy. Although severely set back, the LDP still won more seats (19) than the biggest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), whose final tally stands at 148 seats. However, the CDP received more overall votes than the LDP.
This map depicts the results for the House of Representatives in Japan. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: NHK
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Mexico
Ancient Mayan Jungle City Found
A huge Mayan city, which may have been home to 30,000-50,000 people at its peak from 750 to 850 AD, has been discovered centuries after it disappeared under jungle canopy in Mexico. A research team of Mexican and American archaeologists found pyramids, sports fields, causeways connecting districts and amphitheaters in the southeastern state of Campeche. They uncovered the hidden complex – which they have called Valeriana – using Lidar, a type of laser survey that maps structures buried under vegetation. The team surveyed three different sites in the jungle and found 6,764 buildings of various sizes. They believe it is second in density only to Calakmul, around 62 miles (100 km) away, thought to be the largest Maya site in ancient Latin America. The researchers are planning to follow up on their lidar analysis with fieldwork at the newly discovered sites.
This map depicts sites and settlement densities in the Alianza survey area in Campeche, Mexico, where a lost Mayan city has been discovered. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country is home to the geographical center of the Earth, where the sum of distances to all locations on land is the smallest?
A: Turkey
According to calculations made by the physicist Andrew J. Woods in 1973 in San Diego, the geographical center of the Earth was marked as 93 miles (150 km) southeast of the Turkish capital Ankara. A new calculation made via a global digital surface model by Holger Isenberg in 2003 adjusted the center and marked Çorum province as the world’s geographical center – this is the location Google Maps utilizes. The geographical center of Earth is the geometric center of all land surfaces on Earth. Geometrically defined, it is the centroid of all land surfaces within the two dimensions of the Geoid surface which approximates the Earth’s outer shape. It is the location on the surface of Earth where the sum of distances to all locations on land is the smallest.
Source
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Q: What is the world’s second-largest river basin, after the Amazon Basin?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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