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World
Advanced Age and COVID
Researchers have identified many factors that increase a person’s risk of dying from COVID-19, including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The highest risk factor, however, is old age. The probability of dying from the disease doubles for every eight years of age. This map by The Economist shows the estimated infection fatality rate of COVID-19, adjusted for population age distribution. Over the past few months, older, richer counties have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with younger, poorer countries. To estimate a country’s vulnerability to COVID-19, researchers have combined population data from the United Nations with age-specific infection fatality rates (IFRs) for the disease. Due to their advanced-age population, countries like Greece, Italy, and Japan are more vulnerable to the virus than many countries in the developing world.
This map, adjusted for population age distribution, depicts the estimated infection fatality rate of countries around the world . Click on the map to learn more.
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Bulgaria and North Macedonia
Blocking EU Membership
On Tuesday, Bulgaria blocked talks regarding the accession of North Macedonia into the European Union (EU). The move halted North Macedonia’s next step in the process of attaining EU membership—an agreement on a negotiating framework between the two countries. Many EU diplomats were frustrated with Bulgaria during the process, claiming the country was hindering EU enlargement process due to bilateral issues between the two nations. However, some diplomats suggested even if the dispute was resolved, other countries such as the Netherlands, could still oppose North Macedonia’s admission due to their lack of progress on certain reforms.
This map depicts the countries in the Western Balkan region that have made strides to join the European Union. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Bloomberg
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New Zealand
Bird Election Voter Fraud
The critically endangered kākāpō has been elected New Zealand’s 2020 Bird of the Year after a contentious election tainted by voter fraud. The Bird of the Year contest, hosted annually by environmental advocacy group Forest & Bird since 2005, is an online popularity contest between the 200 + native bird species of New Zealand. Forest & Bird reported that a hacker entered more than 1,500 votes into the election database in favor of the kiwi pukupuku, the little spotted kiwi. The illegitimate ballots were eventually removed, and the kākāpō, a flightless and nocturnal parrot species, won the contest. The contest serves to raise awareness about conservation of endemic bird species across the Pacific-island nation. The kākāpō is one of New Zealand’s most endangered bird species, with a population of only 213, living only on small islands devoid of predators including rats and cats.
This map depicts the range of the endangered kākāpō, New Zealand’s 2020 Bird of the Year. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: With a circumference of more than 100 miles (160 km), what is the largest island of purely coral formation in the world?
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