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World
Military Spending Hits Record
Global military spending hit an all-time high of $2.4 trillion in 2023, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released today. For the first time, military outlay grew in all five geographical regions tracked by SIPRI: Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, and the Americas. Overall, defense spending jumped 6.8% from the prior year, and was the highest year-over-year jump since 2009. The primary drivers of increased spending were the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and fiercer fighting by governments against organized crime and gang violence in Central America and the Caribbean. 2023 marked the ninth straight year of increased defense expenditures.
This map depicts the military spending by countries of the world as a percentage of national GDP, with purple and darker colors representing a higher proportion. Click on the map to learn more.
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With temperatures rising both literally and figuratively, the world must find ways to move past conflict and address our collective challenges. The American Geographical Society will bring together leaders and innovators from around the world to confront these challenges at our 2024 Fall Symposium: GEOGRAPHY 2050: Collaboration & Conflict in a Changing Climate.
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North Korea
New Missile Launches
North Korea fired suspected short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea’s military. Japan has also confirmed the launch and indicated that the missiles fell outside its Exclusive Economic Zone. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons flew about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from the region of North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, before falling in the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. The ranges of the missiles suggest they could likely target sites in South Korea. Leaders in both South Korea and Japan strongly condemned the launches, noting the missile tests threaten the peace and safety of the region. This launch comes after UN sanctions monitoring against the nuclear-armed nation were upended last month by Russia, North Korea’s ally.
This map depicts North Korea’s missile and satellite launch sites, and neighboring countries within range. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Yahoo!News
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Belgium
European State of the Climate
A report by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s climate agency, Copernicus, found Europe is the fastest-warming continent and its temperatures are rising at roughly twice the global average. Europe saw another year of record temperatures driving heat stress, wildfires, heat waves, glacier ice loss, and lack of snowfall. The report focused on the impact of heat stress on human health, noting that deaths related to heat have risen across the continent. The agencies encouraged the development of targeted strategies to speed up the transition to renewable resources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power in response to the effects of climate change. The report stated the continent generated 43% of its electricity from renewable resources last year, up from 36% the year before. More energy was generated from renewables in Europe than from fossil fuels for the second year running.
This map depicts the ranking of annual average surface air temperatures in Europe in 2023. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Where can you find the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth?
A: New Guinea
New Guinea, the world’s second-largest island, holds the title of the tallest island. The island is shared by Indonesia in the west and Papua New Guinea in the east. New Guinea hosts some of the tallest tropical and volcanic peaks in the Pacific. At 16,502 ft (5,030 m), Puncak Jaya is the island’s tallest mountain and the world’s highest island peak, making New Guinea the Earth’s highest island. The tropical mountain, located in western New Guinea (Indonesia), can also be considered Oceania’s highest peak although Indonesia is regarded as being part of both Oceania and Asia. The mountain is located in the Sudirman Range of the highlands of Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia.
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Q: What is the largest and highest plateau on Earth above sea level?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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