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Ukraine
Russia Overtakes Avdiivka
After months of protracted fighting, the Ukrainian army abandoned the town of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region. While the city itself has been hollowed out, Western military analysts fear hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been lost or captured in the retreat, and Russian forces are said to be maneuvering to continue their advance. For the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war nearly two years ago, Russia’s forces have been observed to coordinate effective aerial support for ground forces in the assault on Avdiivka, with fighter bombers launching glide bombs at Ukrainian forces from a distance with satellite support. Ukrainian politicians and Ukraine’s international supporters say the latest developments highlight the consequences of lagging military support, especially artillery shells, fighter jets, and air defenses like the Patriot missile system.
This map depicts the line of control between Ukrainian and Russian forces in and around the town of Avdiivka, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Region. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron’s
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Taiwan
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait
The coast guards of Taiwan and China have engaged in multiple encounters with each other and civilian vessels in the Taiwan Strait in recent days. Last week, two fishermen from China drowned when their boat capsized while being chased by the Taiwan coast guard, and two survivors of that accident were detained on Kinmen Island, which is controlled by Taiwan, before being deported back to mainland China. That incident led to an increase in patrols by the Chinese coast guard. On Monday, six Chinese coast guard officials briefly boarded a Taiwanese cruise ship near Kinmen, inciting panic for the 34 Taiwanese civilians on board. Then yesterday, Taiwan’s coast guard chased away a Chinese coast guard vessel that had allegedly entered Taiwanese waters. Fishermen from both countries regularly sail the stretch of water between Kinmen and the Chinese mainland, complicating increased policing of this maritime boundary.
This map depicts the maritime boundaries around the Taiwanese Kinmen Island, where tensions have escalated in the past week. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Focus Taiwan
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World
European Satellite To Crash
The ERS-2 satellite is set to crash at some location on Earth in the coming hours. As illustrated by a map produced by the European Space Agency (ESA), the window for the satellite’s re-entry is between 2:00pm and 5:30 pm Central European Standard Time. The satellite was originally launched in 1995 and has been used mainly as a observation platform until its retirement in 2011. During its time of operation, it offered new insights on the atmosphere’s chemistry, oceans’ behaviors, and environmental impacts of human activities. The satellite has been falling by more than 6 miles (10 km) each day. Upon its reentry at a speed of around 50 miles per hour (80 km), the ESA predicts the satellite will break up into pieces and burn up. However, it cites low risks associated with pieces of the satellite hitting populated areas.
This map depicts the reentry point of the 30-year-old ERS-2 satellite as predicted by the European Space Agency. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country is home to Africa’s Spice Islands, a historic hub of maritime trade?
A: Tanzania
Situated off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar is a tropical archipelago comprised of several scattered islands, the two largest of which are Pemba and Unguja, or Zanzibar Island. Zanzibar’s history has been greatly shaped by its geography, the prevailing winds of the region placing it directly on the Indian Ocean trade routes and making it accessible to both traders and colonists from Arabia, south Asia, and the African mainland. The Portuguese and Chinese introduced spices such as garlic, cacao and chili to the islands. The clove, originating from Indonesia, was introduced by the Omani sultans. From the 12th to 15th centuries, the spice trade flourished in the region. Zanzibar was the primary trade location for gold, ivory, and spices, and has a dark history as the Africa Great Lakes region’s main slave-trading port.
Source
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Q: What is the longest and most trafficked river in West Africa?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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