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Syria
Final Assault
Early Tuesday morning, U.S. backed Kurdish fighters began what they believe to be the final assault on the ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)-held city of Raqqa. British and United Nations human rights watch groups report that airstrikes against the city began to be carried out as early as Monday night. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are rebels unaligned with the Syrian government, are assaulting Raqqa from the north and east. Raqqa is considered the "ISIL capital" in Syria and has been since early 2014, and SDF spokesman Talal Silo states that this will be "the great battle to liberate the city."
This map depicts the territory held by all fighting forces in Syria. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Philippines
Conflict in Marawi Continues
For the past week, the military of the Philippines has been engaged in conflict with Islamist militant groups. The conflict has led to the death of 170 people, 20 of whom were civilians. Although military spokespersons have only been optimistic about the outcome of the conflicts in Marawi, the city is almost completely devoid of civilian activity. Many civilians who were trapped in militant-controlled areas of Marawi had recently managed to escape and are in desperate need of food and water. As the Phillipino military forces regain more control of Marawi, they are likely to find more civilians hiding from the Islamist militants.
This map shows the area of Marawi where the conflict is occurring. Click the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: BBC (1)
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Uruguay
Uruguay Underwater
About 3,500 people have been displaced as a result of heavy rains and flooding in Uruguay. The worst conditions were in Salto, located along the eastern border of Argentina, where about 2,000 people were forced to evacuate. The region has become all too familiar with flooding of this level in recent years. In 2015 more than 150,000 people were forced to evacuate in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. In April 2016 10,000 people were driven from their homes in Uruguay alone. With the recent frequency of this high magnitude flooding, Uruguay's emergency response team has been forced to be more active.
The map depicts the location of the flood areas in Uruguay in brown. Click on the map to learn more about the story.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Iraq
More on Mosul
Civilian casualties continue to rise as ISIL gains control of neighborhoods throughout Mosul, Iraq. Armed fighting has intensified as Iraqi troops prove to be unsuccessful in their war efforts against the militants. Fighting is most heavily concentrated in western Mosul where battles are spilling out into the streets. Primary sources report that 160 people were killed by ISIL in a single day to prevent civilians fleeing the city or from mounting a resistance. In all, 750000 civilians have been displaced since last October, and more than 100000 children are still trapped within ISIL territory, according to UNICEF.
The map depicts the location of the ISIL-controlled area in Mosul. Click on the map to learn more about the story.
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Q: Olympus Mons, seen here in relation to France, is the largest planetary mountain in the Solar System. On which planet is Olympus Mons located?
A: Mars
Mars, despite being only roughly half as large as Earth, boasts some impressive geography. Olympus Mons towers more than 26 kilometers above Mars' surface, which is three times taller than Mount Everest. What's more, Olympus Mons sits near the Valles Marineris, which is a canyon more than six times longer and seven times deeper than the Grand Canyon.
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Q: What is the most densely populated municipal area in the world?
Stay tuned for tomorrow's DailyGeo where we reveal the correct answer!
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