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United States
Trump and Putin Meet in Alaska
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at a U.S. military base in Alaska to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. This is the first time Putin has appeared on U.S. soil in 10 years, with U.S.-Russian relations being poor since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and seizure of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in 2014. Although quickly ending the over-three-year-old war in Ukraine was a campaign promise of Trump’s, it has continued unabated since his inauguration in January. President Trump billed the talk as a way to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire or, at least, a commitment to negotiations to reach one. After more than two-and-a-half hours, talks between Trump and Putin concluded without a deal or many details about the content of their meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are meeting at the White House today to discuss the meeting with Putin and next steps for Ukraine.
This map depicts the Russia-Ukraine frontline in relation to the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Pakistan
Over 300 Killed by Flash Floods
Flash flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 337 people across northern Pakistan. Dozens more are missing according to the country’s National Disaster Management Authority. Cloudbursts – when an extreme amount of rain falls on a small area in a short time – specifically caused devastation in the Buner district, where at least 277 have been killed and 150 remain missing. Villagers have accused officials of failing to warn them after no evacuation notices were broadcasted from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method used in remote areas. Since June 26, Pakistan has seen higher-than-normal monsoon rains that have killed at least 645 people across the country. Around 400 of these deaths have occurred in the northwest part of the country, as the river-carved mountainous areas are highly vulnerable to sudden heavy rains.
This map depicts the areas impacted by flash flooding in northern Pakistan, superimposed onto rainfall accumulation. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Ethiopia
New Hominin Species
A team of scientists working at a site in Ethiopia have concluded that a collection of teeth recently discovered are from a previously-unknown early human-type species. The find is significant because it provides the first evidence of a chronological and geographical overlap between the early hominins in the genus Australopithecus and members of our own genus, Homo. Species from the genus Australopithecus are believed to have lived around 3 million years ago, while Homo became dominant around 2 million years ago. A jawbone found at the site, Ledi-Geraru, in 2013 established the presence of Homo species 2.8 million years ago – the earliest known finding. The teeth from a species of Australopithecus in this most recent find date between 2.6 to 2.8 million years ago – establishing the overlap. The researchers say this new find shows the conception of human evolution as a linear path from early hominins directly to modern humans is far more complicated, with different species branching off and crossing paths before going extinct.
This map depicts the Ledi-Geraru site in Ethiopia where scientists have found the best evidence for a chronological and geographical overlap between hominin species of Australopithecus and Homo between 2 million and 3 million years ago. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which country is home to a desert nicknamed the “Sea of Death” due to its isolation?
A: China
Deep in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is China’s largest desert, the 123,550-square-mile (320,000-square-km) Taklamakan. It is considered to be the second largest shifting sand desert in the entire world. Across China, it is known as the “sea of death.” In the Uygur tongue, its name means “go in and you won’t come out”. The Taklamakan lies within a large desert basin, fringed on all sides by protective mountain ranges. The mountain ring, formed by the Tien Shan Mountains to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the southwest and the Altun Mountains in the south, forms a wind tunnel preventing the winds from easily escaping the desert. While the perpetual movement of the sand contributes to its wild beauty, the constant movement hinders vegetation growth and threatens local populations.
Source
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Q: What country is home to an underwater volcano nicknamed “Sharkcano,” after two shark species were found living in the crater?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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