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World
Google Maps’ New COVID-19 Layer
Google recently added a COVID-19 layer to Google Maps to help people to understand the number of cases in a given area. The new feature shows a color-coded layer which is based on cases per 100,000 people in 220 different countries and territories around the world. The new layer uses the most up-to-date data from Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times and tells people if cases are trending upward or downward in a given area. These screenshots of Google Maps by Android Police show that the data’s granularity is not the same in all countries. In the maps, it can be seen that France’s data is country-wide, with a single figure for the entire nation, whereas for Spain, the numbers are shown by region. The layer in the U.S. features data at the county level, as well as having more general per-state numbers. Developers hope this new feature will allow people to get places as safely and efficiently as possible.
These maps depict the new COVID-19 layer of Google Maps in France, Spain, and the United States. Click on the map to learn more.
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India
Protests After Rape Victim’s Death
Protests erupted across India yesterday after a 19-year-old woman died from injuries sustained during an alleged gang rape. The woman was attacked in mid-September while cutting grass in Hathras, a district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. She was found partially paralyzed with a broken spine and other injuries and transported to a hospital in the capital city New Delhi. The victim belonged to the Dalit community, the lowest group in India’s hierarchical caste system. Dalit’s have been heavily impacted by India’s rape crisis, with nearly 3,500 Dalit women reported being raped in 2019. Protestors are calling attention to the strong connection between sexual violence and the caste system and demanding a strong crimal justice response to the case.
This map depicts the reported rapes of Dalit women in India in 2019. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: India Today
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Chad
Oil Versus World Heritage Status
Chad is working to halt World Heritage status for Lake Chad in order to explore oil and mining opportunities in the region. Chad’s tourism and culture minister wrote to UNESCO asking to postpone the registration of Lake Chad on the World Heritage list, noting that they have already signed agreements with different oil companies who want to explore the region and require allocated blocks of land. The new request comes at the expense of Chad’s neighboring countries, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria, who have been a part of the multiyear process to nominate Lake Chad as both a natural and cultural site to be protected by UNESCO. A UNESCO spokesperson responded to the request, saying “It is important to recall that the goal of the inscription of a site on the World Heritage list is to ensure conservation of its outstanding universal value for future generations.”
This map depicts the location of Lake Chad and the surrounding area that would be considered as a World Heritage site. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which archipelago is geographically part of Africa but politically part of Yemen and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 for its distinct plant and animal life?
A: Socotra
Located in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, the Socotra Archipelago is approximately 250 km long and is comprised of four islands and two rocky islets. The islands are home to over 700 endemic species exclusive to the region, including the Dragon’s Blood Tree, pictured above. and has been called the “Galápagos of the Indian Ocean”. Yemen claims the archipelago politically, making Yemen a transcontinental country.
Source
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Q: Which French overseas territory holds the title of having the largest percentage of terrestrial protected lands in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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