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World
Borders Closed to U.S. Citizens
Over the past few months, most international travel was grounded to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as countries slowly begin to re-open their borders to foreign nationals, in need of a much-needed economic boost during the height of the would-be tourist season, most governments are preventing travel to American passport holders due to its persistently high caseload and death toll. This map by Gzero shows the 29 countries that are currently allowing entry to U.S. citizens, many however, requiring a 14-day quarantine period. Most of the Carribbean, Mexico, the Maldives, and Turkey are open for U.S. tourists to visit, but require a temperature check and COVID-19 test upon arrival. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still advising against all non-essential international travel as widespread transmission of the virus is ongoing.
This map depicts the 29 countries that U.S. passport holders are currently allowed travel to as most borders remain closed to American citizens. All COVID-19 updates will be displayed in a red box.
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Yemen
Oil Tanker Threatens Disaster
An FSO Safer oil tanker has been stranded off Yemen’s Red Sea coast for five years. The tanker, carrying 1.1 million barrels of crude oil has begun to destabilize, threatening to set off an environmental catastrophe capable of affecting 1.6 million Yemenis and destroying the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities. The tanker is currently under the control of Houthi rebels who seized the tanker, once worth 60 million dollars, from the Yemeni government in 2015. In May, a leak on the ship was allowed to be fixed and prompted the Houthis to enter into a contract with the United Nations that would allow for the ship to be properly accessed and broken down. The 44-year-old tanker has not been maintained for five years, and experts have determined that it is already extremely unsafe.
This map depicts the predicted spill trajectory if the tanker was allowed to fall into total disrepair. Click on the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: Eurocean.org
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Iran
Mystery Fires Continue
A series of mysterious fires continue to hit buildings, plant facilities, and ships in Iran. According to reports, at least seven ships were damaged in a fire in the southern port of Bushehr on Wednesday. This is the fourth incident to occur within the past week after reports of other fires at an industrial zone, a petrochemical facility, and an apartment building where gas cylinders exploded. The recent string of fires in Iran, including a blast at the Nantanz uranium plant earlier this month and a military complex at the end of June, has prompted officials to examine if they are connected and could possibly be foreign or domestic sabotage.
This map depicts the recent fires and explosions in Iran, including the latest incident at Bushehr Port. Click on the map to learn more.
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The increasing use of maps to show the spread of coronavirus poses questions on which map sources are reliable. On this week’s Cartographer’s Quandary, we are looking at how one viral map shared more than 15,000 times on Facebook proved to be misleading in comparing COVID-19 case outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada. The map released on June 16th titled “This Is Why Canada Border Remains Closed!” shows the extreme outbreak in the U.S. compared to the sparse cases in Canada. The map advocates for borders to remain closed to outside travelers to contain the virus. A deeper look at the data used in the map from John Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard ignores the differences in population densities between Canada and the U.S. The map shows Canada’s reported outbreaks by province while the U.S. reported by counties. Additionally, the data was based on cumulative cases instead of active, and while the U.S. does have more standalone cases, the map misrepresents the data and misleads the viewer.
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Q: Which body of water is known to be the largest expanse of brackish water in the world?
A: Baltic Sea
Covering about 149,000 sq mi (386,000 square km), the Baltic Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean that separates the Scandinavian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe. The sea has an average depth of 180.446 ft (55 m) with a maximum depth of about 1505.9 ft (459 m). It has a low salinity level of about 10 ppt (seawater has an average 35 ppt level), this is mainly due to the huge amount of freshwater added to the sea from hundreds of rivers. The low salinity and the shallow coastal waters cause pack ice to accumulate during most winters.
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Q: Which African country holds the title of being the westernmost?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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