Bulgaria

On May 22, there was a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Bulgaria (9km/6mi NNW of Pernik). Bulgaria is located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey. Slightly larger than Tennessee; it has a total area of: 110,879 sq km. The Mediterranean region is seismically active due to the northward convergence (4-10 mm/yr) of the African plate with respect to the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary.  Read More

Italy

On May 20th, there was a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in northern Italy (4km/2mi ENE of Composanta). The Mediterranean region is seismically active due to the northward convergence (4-10 mm/yr) of the African plate with respect to the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary. Large earthquakes throughout the Mediterranean region have also been known to produce significant and damaging tsunamis.  Read More

Afghanistan

Afghanistan, slightly smaller than the state of Texas, is a landlocked country in southern Asia. With an estimated population of 29,835,392 (July 2011); Afghanistan is ethnically diverse: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, and other. The two official languages are Afghan Persian (or Dari) and Pashto; thirty other languages are also recognized and many Afghanis are bilingual. Religiously, the country is 80% Sunni Muslim, 19% Shia Muslim, and 1% other.  Read More

Syria

Syria, about the size of North Dakota, encompasses 185,180 sq. km.; it is located in the Middle East along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey. The capital, Damascus, has an approximate population of 1.7 million; it is situated at the Ghouta oasis, fed by the Barada River, and thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Other major cities include: Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Idleb, al-Hasakeh, Dayr al-Zur, Latakia, and Dar'a.  Read More