Russia
War Games Begin
Today, Russia kicked off it’s largest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union, “Vostok-18.” The drills, taking place in the eastern military zone of Russia near the Chinese/Mongolian borders, will last from September 11 to 17. Russia will have more than 300,000 troops on the ground as well as 36,000 military vehicles and 80 ships. China has also agreed to send 3,200 troops to the war games. Russian officials confirm these drills are strictly to develop their defensive capability rather than to develop offensive tactics. Russian president, Vladimir Putin is currently meeting with Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, in Vladivostok, Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum.
This map depicts where various armies will be located during the war games in eastern Russia. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Independent
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Ethiopia and Eritrea
Open Borders
Today, for the first time in over 20 years, the border between the two African countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea have reopened. The opening of the border showed further signs of rapprochement between the two nations after years of conflict and war, and after Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, and Eritrean President, Isaias Afwerki, signed a peace deal in July. The reopening of Burre, a border city, also gives back the landlocked nation of Ethiopia access to the Red Sea. In Zalambessa, a town nearly completely destroyed during the 1998 war, celebrations are being held as previously separated families are reuniting after two decades apart.
This map depicts the two countries and their border cities that are primarily affected by the border opening. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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China
Detention of Muslim Minorities
The U.S. is considering sanctioning Chinese officials over human rights violations against the ethnic Uighurs and other minority Muslim groups. According to a Human Rights Watch report, China has imposed a mass security and surveillance crackdown on minorities in the far west province of Xinjiang, including “arbitrary detentions”, insertion of QR codes on people’s homes to gather personal information, restrictions on religious practices, and “forced political indoctrination.” The UN Human Rights panel believes China is holding up to 1 million Uighurs in a secretive system of “internment camps” in Xinjiang. While the UN described Xinjiang as a “no rights zone,” the Chinese have characterized the political education camp as “vocational education centers.”
This map depicts the Xinjiang province where Muslim minorities are being detained. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which is the only sea in the world without any coasts?
A: Sargasso Sea
Found in the middle of the Northern Atlantic Subtropical Gyre near the Bermuda Islands, the Sargasso Sea is surrounded by ocean currents in all directions.
Source
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Q: What is the largest lake in Africa?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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