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United States
Coronavirus Crosses the Pacific
A case of the China-originating coronavirus, known as of 2019-nCoV, has been confirmed in one U.S. patient. The patient- a Seattle man in his 30’s- had recently traveled from Wuhan, China. where the virus originated. China’s Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control has stated the virus does not appear to be as virulent as the virus behind the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. Still, countries around the world are implementing screening for travelers arriving from China- especially as the largest human vacation travel period for the Chinese New Year begins to unfold. The World Health Organization will hold a meeting today to determine if it is necessary to declare a global public health emergency for the disease which has now spread to Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
This map depicts the spread of the coronavirus from China. Click on the map to learn more.
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Lebanon
New Government Forms
After months of escalating protests, Lebanon has formed a new government led by prime minister, Hassan Diab, a professor and former education minister. Citizens of Lebanon have been actively protesting since October 2019 in a call for social and economic reforms amid increasing taxes, corruption and economic crisis. The new government is backed by Hezbollah and it’s allies and was formed without participation by leading political parties of Lebanon. Though early protests effectively lead to the resignation of the former prime minister, some analysts believe the new Lebanese government will not be widely accepted as it is not seen as independent.
This map depicts location of protests in Lebanon from October to January and Hezbollah controlled areas. Click on the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: Stratfor
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Australia
Oldest Asteroid Impact Found
According to research published today in Nature Communications, scientists may have identified the world’s oldest asteroid crater in western Australia. The study dates the Yarrabubba crater at 2.229 billion years old, making it 200 million years older than the Vredefort Dome, a 2.02 billion year-old crater in South Africa. The Yarrabubba crater was first discovered in 1979 but geologists had not previously tested its age. To date the estimated 70km wide impact site precisely, researchers analysed the altered mineral structures searching for evidence of “shock recrystallisation”. Their analysis concluded the Yarrabubba impact occurred during a period in Earth’s history called the Proterozoic eon adding that the impact could have significantly altered Earth’s climate, helping end a period of global deep freeze.
This map depicts the Yarrabubba crater site in western Australia. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The U.S. Commonwealth islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota are located in which archipelago?
A: Northern Mariana Islands
Also known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), this three-hundred mile archipelago consists of 14 islands and has a total land area of 183.5 square miles. The principal inhabited islands are Saipan, Rota and Tinian.
Source
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Q: Before it was drained for agricultural land, this marshy area was once known as the Great Black Swamp. Which U.S. states contain this area?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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