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United Kingdom
Finns Happiest in the World Again
The World Happiness Report has deemed Finland the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year. The report, published by the University of Oxford, Gallup, and the UN, considers self-assessed life evaluations in conjunction with GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancies, freedom, generosity, and freedom from corruption to form their rankings. The top 10 happiest countries are largely small and European, with Nordic nations performing exceptionally well. For the first time, the report shows happiness ratings by age group, exposing rising unhappiness amongst young people, particularly in North America and Western Europe. The United States fell out of the top 20 for the first time since the report was first published in 2012, driven largely by unhappiness in people under 30. Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list.
This map depicts the results of the World Happiness Survey published by the Well-being Research Center at the University of Oxford. The map highlights the happiest and unhappiest countries. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Statista
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Bangladesh
Dozens of Refugees Rescued
On Thursday, an Indonesian search and rescue ship located a capsized wooden boat carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees and pulled survivors to safety. It is unclear how many refugees were originally aboard the small craft when it capsized off Indonesia’s northernmost coast in the Andaman Sea on Wednesday. Initial survivors estimated between 60 and 100 people. According to the latest reports, 10 people were taken aboard local fishing boats, while a craft from Banda Aceh in northern Indonesia saved 59 others. Leaders in the Aceh Barat district say the survivors indicated the boat was sailing east when it started leaking. The refugees, from Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, were fleeing overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.
This map depicts the area off the coast of northern Indonesia where dozens of Rohingya refugees were rescued off a capsized boat. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron’s
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United States
New Study on California Orcas
A pod of 183 killer whales, also known as orcas, near the northern California coast have exhibited new hunting behaviors. Orcas are considered apex predators and have been documented to attack great white sharks, elephant seals, blue and gray whales, and porpoises. The new study published recently in the journal PLOS One was conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia and analyzed how a submarine canyon underneath Monterey Bay allowed the animals to ambush their prey, including gray whales. Using the steep walls and narrow path of the canyon, the orcas were able to target pairs of gray whale mothers and offspring. They would then separate the mother from the calf, which would be dragged into open water, rammed, flipped into the air, and suffocated, a process that would last between one and five hours. This new study contributes to other studies that have shown orcas change local food chains when new hunting behaviors are picked up.
This map depicts the deep submarine canyon system in Monterey Bay, California, where orcas have exhibited new hunting behaviors. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the only country in the Western Hemisphere with net-negative greenhouse emissions?
A: Suriname
Suriname is considered a carbon negative country, as its rainforests absorb more emissions than the country emits. With approximately 94% of land area under dense tropical rainforests, Suriname performs a key function as a global carbon sink absorbing more than 9.7 tons (8.8Mt) of CO2 annually. Most of the rainforest is still in pristine condition. Suriname has one of the world’s lowest rates of deforestation, estimated at 0.02% annually. Despite this significant mitigation function, as a country with a low-lying coast where over 80% of the population resides, and where the major economic activities and infrastructure are concentrated, Suriname is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Source
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Q: What country is home to the largest rainforest in mainland Asia?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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