Type: World Mapping

Why in the News?

Japan’s Sakurajima volcano has erupted several times sending ash plumes up to 4.4 km into the atmosphere.

About Sakurajima Volcano:

• Location: Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, sitting on the southern rim of the Aira caldera inside Kagoshima Bay.
• Geological Origin: Linked to formation of the Aira caldera (22,000–29,000 years ago); Sakurajima developed as a post-caldera cone about 13,000 years ago.
• Volcano Type: A classic stratovolcano built from alternating lava and ash layers; active vents include Minamidake crater and the Showa flank crater.
• Physical Features: Height 1,117 m, circumference ≈50 km; originally an island until 1914 lava flows connected it to the Osumi Peninsula.
• Eruption Style: Dominantly Strombolian eruptions (ash, bombs, lapilli) but historically capable of large Plinian eruptions.
• Historical Activity: Continuous eruptive record since 963 AD; major episodes in 1471–76, 1779–82, and the 1914 catastrophic eruption.
• Risk Status: Considered one of Japan’s most dangerous volcanoes due to high activity, caldera-linked magma supply and extreme proximity to inhabited zones.

What makes it unique?

• Near-Continuous Activity: Erupts hundreds of times annually, ranking among the world’s most persistently active volcanoes.
• Caldera System: Built on the Aira caldera, giving it a deep, complex, highly active magma plumbing network.
• Landform Transformation: The 1914 eruption converted Sakurajima from an island into a peninsula, an unusual event in recorded volcanology.

Why in the News?

This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the Indian Express.

About the Volga River:

• Overview: The longest river in Europe (about 3,500 km), originating in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow and flowing southeast to the Caspian Sea at Astrakhan.
• Drainage Basin: Covers around 1.35 million sq. km, among Europe’s largest river systems, with major tributaries, Kama, Oka, Vetluga, and Sura.
• Historical Role: Served as a critical front during the Battle of Stalingrad (World War II) and remains central to Russian historical and strategic narratives.
• Cultural Significance: Revered as “Mother Volga”, symbolising Russian unity, resilience, and identity, deeply embedded in folklore and national consciousness.
• Economic Importance: It contributes one-fourth of Russia’s agricultural output, supports industrial fishing, and sustains key industries, oil refining, shipbuilding, hydroelectric power.
• Navigation & Connectivity: Linked to the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas through an extensive network of canals and reservoirs, forming the backbone of Russia’s inland transport system.
• Urban & Industrial Corridor: Major cities like Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, and Volgograd lie along its course, forming Russia’s industrial-agricultural heartland.
• Ecological Richness: Supports about 260 bird species and 70 fish species, making it a key biodiversity hotspot within Eurasia.

Why in the News?

The African Union (AU) has endorsed the Correct the Map campaign to replace the 16th-century Mercator projection with more accurate maps.

About the African Union (AU):

• Establishment: Formed in 2002, replacing the Organisation of African Unity (1963).
• Membership: 55 African countries.
• Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Vision: “An Integrated, Prosperous, and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.”
• Agenda 2063: Blueprint for socio-economic growth and continental unity.
• Main Organs: Assembly, Executive Council, AU Commission, Peace and Security Council.

What is a Mercator Map?

• Creation: Designed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator.
• Projection: Cylindrical map with straight longitude and latitude lines intersecting at 90°.
• Purpose: Enabled sailors to plot straight-line courses for compass navigation.
• Adoption: Became the standard map in schools, atlases, and wall charts by the 19th century.

Issues with the Mercator Map:

• Distortion: Enlarges high-latitude regions (Europe, Russia, North America) while shrinking Africa and South America.
• Example: Greenland appears equal to Africa, though Africa is ~14 times larger.
• Colonial Bias: Reinforced Western dominance narratives and downplayed Africa’s size and importance.
• Impact: Supported marginalisation and exploitation during colonialism.
• Alternatives: Gall-Peters (1970s) and Equal Earth (2018) projections show continents in correct proportion.
• AU Stand: Advocates replacing Mercator maps to restore Africa’s rightful global image.