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Cambodia
ASEAN Agrees to Add East Timor
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic grouping of 10 Southeast Asian member states, has agreed to admit East Timor as a member in principle. The decision was announced today when leaders gathered at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. While not yet granted full membership, East Timor will have an observer status to participate in all ASEAN meetings and summits. It has been almost 11 years since East Timor’s President Jose Ramos-Horta formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011. East Timor’s road to admittance has been challenging due to poverty and general economic instability, meaning ASEAN members will provide further conditions for East Timor to obtain a full membership.
This map depicts the 10 members of ASEAN plus East Timor, their GDPs, and share of exports. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron's
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Tonga
Quake Rumbles South Pacific
A tsunami warning for a few South Pacific countries has been lifted following an earthquake that struck 131 miles (211 km) east of the island nation of Tonga. The United States Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale, with other monitoring agencies in the region pegging its strength anywhere between 7.1 and 7.9. Authorities in Tonga advised residents to move inland and uphill, or to at least the third floor of a building made of steel or concrete, and for mariners to move from reef areas to deep water in preparation for a tsunami that fortunately didn't materialize. Tonga's territory includes 171 islands with a total population of around 100,000 people. It sits in a seismically active area, with regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
This map depicts the location of an earthquake near the island nation of Tonga that triggered a tsunami warning earlier this morning. Click on the map to learn more.
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United Kingdom
Compensation for 64 Child Deaths
The UK government has issued compensatory payments for the deaths of 64 Afghan children, four times as many as the 16 it had previously acknowledged. The new figures come from Freedom of Information requests made by the charity, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). All of the children were killed in fighting involving UK forces between 2006 and 2014. It’s believed that airstrikes and being caught in crossfire were the most common causes of the children's deaths. AOAV also stated the total number of recorded civilian deaths caused by British forces is likely to be underestimated and the actual number of children killed could be as high as 135, due to gaps in recordkeeping and incomplete information. Most of the 881 fatality claims made to the British were rejected, and only a quarter received compensation. In total, the MoD ended up paying £688,000 for 289 Afghan civilian deaths between 2006 and 2014.
This map depicts the locations of child deaths for which the UK government has acknowledged fault and provided compensation to families. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country has the most languages spoken in the world?
A: Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, located in northern Oceania, is the most multilingual country in the world, with over 840 living languages spoken. Although the island nation is lauded for being the most linguistically diverse place on Earth, with 10% of the world's languages, a 2021 study found that fewer young people are speaking their Indigenous languages than ever before, instead opting for English, Tok Pisin, or an English-Creole. The country officially recognizes four - English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, and Papua New Guinea Sign Language. Because of the predominance of Tok Pisin and English and the effects of globalization, researchers found that about one-third of Indigenous languages spoken in Papua New Guinea are endangered. While traditional multilingualism is very present in older generations, younger generations are losing their ability to keep these languages alive.
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Q: Found on the Hvitá river canyon in Southwest Iceland and translated to mean “Golden Falls,” what is Iceland’s most famous waterfall?
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in Monday's DailyGeo.
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