copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-26): Bassas da India, Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, France Bassas da India is a French atoll that is about round in shape and is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The atoll is located in the southern Mozambique Channel, roughly midway between Mozambique and Madagascar, and about 110 kilometers northwest of Europa Island. Its rim averages around 100 meters in width and encloses a shallow lagoon with a depth of no more than 15 meters. The atoll is made up of eleven stony islets with no vegetation. The sea totally covers the reef from three hours before high tide to three hours after. The atoll has long been a marine risk and the scene of many shipwrecks because the area is also vulnerable to cyclones.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-03): As befits an atoll so steeped in legend and history, it was while listening to the inebriated stories of an aging treasure hunter that I first heard of Bassas da India. Situated in the Mozambique Channel between the east coast of Africa and the island of Madagascar, very few people are aware that this tiny atoll even exists, but for those in the know, Bassas da India has become synonymous with the kind of adventure only found somewhere truly remote. A 2-day journey from Vilanculos on the Mozambican mainland, the atoll is the product of a submarine volcano that soars 9,800 feet (3,000m) from the ocean floor. At the surface, this peak has created a band of exquisite fringing coral reef, within which lies a lagoon 7 miles (11km) in diameter and just 50 feet (15m) at its deepest point.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-12): Located approximately halfway between Madagascar and Mozambique, Bassas da India is an isolated atoll in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. [...] Bassas da India is an uninhabited atoll located in the Indian Ocean. Due to its remote and inaccessible location, there are no specific tourist attractions on the island. However, the pristine and untouched natural beauty of Bassas da India is a sight to behold, with crystal-clear waters, vibrant marine life, and stunning coral reefs. Visitors can enjoy snorkeling, diving, and exploring the underwater wonders of this incredible marine sanctuary. [...] Bassas da India has a fascinating history as an uninhabited atoll in the Indian Ocean. It was first discovered by European explorers in the early 16th century and has been passed between different colonial powers over the centuries. Today, Bassas da India is under the jurisdiction of France and is designated as a nature reserve. The atoll’s pristine and untouched environment is protected to conserve its fragile ecosystem and diverse marine life.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-01-01): Looking for a place to explore and have an extreme and fulfilling adventure experience is everyone's dream. Bassaa da India or known as Basse de Judie is a small atoll about one-third of the area of the economic center in Washington, DC. It is a coral reef about 10 km wide in diameter, with a coastline that measure 35. 2 km long and is situated between Madagascar and Mozambique. [...] From the top view, this coral reef is nestled on top of a great extinct volcano and is covered by water for 3 hours before and after high tide. It rises about 3000 m from the seabed of the Mozambique Channel. It has been known to those who pass the Indian Ocean as a major hazard and is always visited by cyclones. Bassa da India is a site of numerous shipwrecks. [...] Information about Bassas da India is brought to you by "List of countries of the world", your first stop in discovering all countries of the world.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-12-15): The islands of Europa and Bassas da India lie in the Mozambique Channel near the southern end of Madagascar. Both are coralline islands, or atolls, and Europa is about 100 km southeast of Bassas da India. Europa, with 30 km2 of land area, is 6–7 km in diameter with a maximum altitude of 6 m. Its shallow lagoon (generally 1 m deep) is open to the sea at one side, and covers about 9 km2, including some 700 km2 of mangrove swamp that is particularly extensive to the south. The mangrove stands are important nursery grounds for sea turtles and sharks. Bassas da India atoll is an almost perfectly circular atoll with less than 1 km2 of permanently dry land area. The reef is 12–13 km in diameter, although it is almost entirely submerged at high tide, and therefore, does not support any vegetation. Bassas da India's coral structure is still forming. These islands are subject to the Agulhas Current and experience occasional cyclones. Water temperatures are usually above 30°C, and southeast trade winds dominate during the austral winter. Annual rainfall averages 600 mm. [...] Europa Island functions as an important nesting ground for sea turtles and seabirds, and also claims an endemic subspecies of land bird as well as two endemic subspecies of lizard. While Bassas da India is of scientific and biogeographical interest due to its relatively undisturbed reef system, the limited area of permanently dry land is not sufficient to support significant terrestrial life. The hawksbill turtle is fairly common on the island.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-04-04): Bassas da India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Europa Island, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Tromelin Island 6M: (MEDITERRANEAN SEA AREA)
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-11): Note 6: The French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, Îles Crozet, and Îles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean; the "Iles Eparses" (Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island) in the Mozambique Channel and western Indian Ocean; and the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Terre Adélie." The United States does not recognize the French claim to "Terre Adélie" (see note 2).
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-04-09): These small islands are located in the south-west Indian Ocean around Madagascar. The five entities are Juan de Nova, Europa, Bassas da India, Tromelin and the Glorieuses Islands (composed of Grande Glorieuse and Ile du Lys). [...] The Eparses Islands are all of coral origin as reflected in their morphology in the form of an atoll for Bassas da India, the Glorieuses, Juan-de-Nova and Europa and in the form of a raised atoll for Tromelin. Accumulating a surface area of 44 km², the highest point does not exceed a few metres of altitude. Located at altitudes of between 22° south for Europa and 11° south for the Ile of Lys of the Glorieuses, the Eparses Islands have a tropical climate and are located in the path of hurricanes from the north-east.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (1999-03-06): Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte [...] Note 5: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion are departments (first-order administrative units) of France, and are therefore not dependencies or areas of special sovereignty. They are included in this list only for the convenience of the user. The Department of Guadeloupe includes the nearby islands of Marie-Galante, La Desirade, and Iles des Saintes, as well as Saint Barthelemy and the northern three-fifths of Saint Martin (the rest of which belongs to Netherlands Antilles). The islands of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island are administered from Reunion; all these islands are claimed by Madagascar, and Tromelin Island is claimed by Mauritius.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-10-13): Since February 2007, the Scattered French Islands in the Indian Ocean (the islands of Tromelin, Glorioso, Juan de Nova, Bassas da India and Europa) have formed the 5th district of the TAAF. The Scattered Islands remained French after independence was granted to the former overseas territory of Madagascar, and are under the authority of the Minister for overseas departments and territories (Decree n° 60-555 of 1st April 1960). They are governed by the Prefect, the higher administrator of the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (ruling of 3 January 2005).
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-01-01): Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. [...] Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon) [...] Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon;
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2008-01-01): Juan de Nova is at a point off the Madagascar west coast characterized by significant aggregations of marine mammals, an indicator of high productivity likely driven by interactions between eddies and the shallowest sections of the Davie ridge. Europa and Bassas de India, in the center of the southern Mozambique channel, experience mature eddy systems. [...] Bassas da India is a subcircular atoll 12 km in diameter, with a shallow sandy lagoon and is almost entirely submerged at high tide. The atoll is currently growing and the reef slope is very steep, dropping to 3000 m to the bottom of the Mozambique Channel. [...] Jurisdiction - The Iles Éparses are under French jurisdiction, and since 2007 have been part of the French overseas territory called "French Southern and Antarctic Lands" (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises - TAAF), which also includes the southern islands of Crozet, Kerguelen Archipelago, St. Paul, Amsterdam and Terre Adelie. The EEZs of the Iles Éparses total 640,000 km2, and abut the EEZs of the neighbouring countries. The islands are subject to claims from these neighbouring countries, including Madagascar (Bassas da India, Europa, the Glorieuses islands and Juan da Nova) and from the Comoros for the Glorieuses islands.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-01-04): Europa’s turtle circus is rarely seen by human eyes. The island is a nature reserve, and its waters are protected. Like its neighbor, Bassas da India, 70-odd miles to the northwest, it is part of the Scattered Islands, five specks of land that ring Madagascar like moons. Remnants of the once mighty French colonial empire, they fly the Tricolor as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. [...] Although Europa and Bassas da India lie close together in the middle of the Mozambique Channel, they are very different places. Europa is a scrub-covered island that is home not only to nesting turtles but also to a million breeding pairs of seabirds. Bassas is an atoll that barely shows above the waterline and has a shark-filled lagoon the size of Manhattan. Both are among the last vestiges of healthy marine ecosystems in the western Indian Ocean—sanctuaries for wild nature in depleted seas. "On the surface these places look like nothing—like insignificant dots," says marine biologist Thomas Peschak, who photographed this article. "But once you’ve dived here, you’re spoiled for the rest of your life." [...] At Bassas da India there are no trees for seabirds to roost in and no beaches where turtles can lay their eggs. Bassas is a young atoll, still forming on its parent volcano, a seamount that erupted from the seabed almost two miles below the surface. From the air it looks like a blue plate with a bite-size chunk missing from its northeast rim.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-01-01): Looking at satellite images of it, the Bassas da India atoll is unmistakable. Nearly circular, it’s one of the bluest lagoons you’ll ever spot, surrounded by ten rocky islets on the atoll and a continuous coral reef. Just looking at the image will make advanced and expert scuba divers long to blow bubbles in its waters. In fact, it’s so unique and coveted that there are even mild territory disputes over who ‘owns’ it to present-day. Bassas da India is located in the Southern Mozambique Channel. Specifically, it is 110 kilometers northwest of Ile Europa and 385 kilometers off Madagascar’s eastern coast. Long known as a maritime hazard, the dive sites are more than just reef and lagoons–there are numerous shipwrecks that lie in watery graves around the atoll. [...] Before you go diving into one of the world’s largely undiscovered atolls, however, it’s important to consider that Bassas da India is a destination for the adventurous scuba diver. Basically, that means someone who has experienced diving the world’s top dive spots and is now looking for an ultimate experience. Few people have heard of Bassa da India and even fewer have had the chance to go there, as it’s not exactly "open to the public." Bassas da India can only be reached by a liveaboard or private charter yacht.
Claim: Bassas da India is a territory of Madagascar (Bassas da India, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-03-08): The Mozambique Channel has been the theater of a territorial dispute between France and Madagascar since the independence of the latter in 1960. A number of uninhabited low lying islands located about halfway between Madagascar and the coast of Africa were detached from the Colony of Madagascar shortly before independence and formed a separate territory known as the "scattered islands of the Indian Ocean". These are, from North to South, the Glorioso Islands (also claimed by Comoros), Juan Da Nova, Bassas Da India and Europa. Tromelin, which is located East of Madagascar, is also part of the territory.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-25): Arsal (also spelled Aarsal, Ersal or 'Irsal; Arabic: عرسال), is a town and municipality situated east of Labweh, 124 kilometres (77 mi) northeast of Beirut, in Baalbek District of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Lebanon.[2] The population is predominantly Sunni Muslim. [...] History [edit]In 1838, Eli Smith noted 'Arsal as a Metawileh village in the Baalbek area.[9] Syrian Civil War [edit]On 17 September 2012, Syrian ground-attack aircraft fired three missiles 500 metres (1,600 ft) over the border into Lebanese territory near Arsal. It was suggested that the jets were chasing rebels in the vicinity. The attack prompted Lebanese president Michel Sleiman to launch an investigation, whilst not publicly blaming Syria for the incident.[10]
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-02-01): The border municipality of Arsal, situated in North Bekaa, is host to some 32,000 Syrian refugees- the second largest figure of any cadaster in Lebanon. Both Arsalis and refugees live under difficult conditions. The town has a history of being marginalized from investment and public services, and has been affected by the Syrian conflict more than any other municipality in the country. [...] - Arsal is relatively safe. Both the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and, recently, national police have presence. Incidents against humanitarians are very rare. While permissions from LAF are necessary for access, these are routinely granted for humanitarian work. - Arsalis as well as Syrian refugees are overall friendly and authorities are cooperative with humanitarians. Arsal is one of the few municipalities in Lebanon where a dedicated humanitarian coordination mechanism exists, including the Municipality, local and international NGOs and UN agencies.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): South and Nabatieh governorates but also to Aarsal and mass displacements, several health facilities are not operational due to lack of health care workers.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Aarsal and Its Surrounding Villages A New Dawn Aarsal and its Surrounding Villages A New Dawn A new conflict analysis report by the UNDP Lebanon funded by UKDFID seeking to explain current intercommunal relations and grievances in Aarsal. It also aims at presenting the opportunities that both the community and the government have identified to support the area, and proposes a number of key considerations for the scale-up of international engagement to meet needs. This report sheds light on the area of Aarsal and its surrounding villages after several major milestones have been marked that influenced the situation, dynamics, relationships, and social stability.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-01-22): In Pictures ‘We hardly ever leave’: Life in Lebanon’s border town of Arsal [...] Arsal, Lebanon – Ahmed Bareesh, lying in his tent on a thin mattress under a blanket, struggles to sit upright even with his wife’s support. [...] Arsal was declared ISIL-free in August 2017 by both the Lebanese army and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group and political party that has been fighting on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-07-20): Two years ago, Arsal, a town on Lebanon's north-eastern border with Syria, was unknown to most Lebanese. Today, it serves as a daily reminder of the Syrian crisis next door and its consequences for Lebanon.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2015-03-22): The town of Arsal lies along the Lebanese-Syrian frontier, in sits in what is commonly referred to as the anti-Lebanon mountain range, overlooking the Bekaa Valley. Its municipal boundaries run some 50 kilometers along the Syrian border fence, it is accessible only via a 10km road that winds toward the town stemming off the main artery linking Baalbek, Labwa and Hermel, and its steep surrounding mountains mean Arsal is largely isolated from other nearby Lebanese towns. [...] [1] "Arsal: A Lebanese Town in Support of the Syrian Revolution," Al-Jazeera Net, January 17, 2014, http://goo.gl/lwCtL0 [3] "Arsal: A Lebanese Town," Op. cit. [5] "Arsal, The [Canaanite] God El’s Throne," Op. cit.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-05-09): Arsal (also spelled Aarsal, Ersal or 'Irsal; Arabic: عرسال), is a town and municipality situated east of Labweh, 124 kilometres north east of Beirut, in the Baalbek District of theBeqaa Governorate in Lebanon. It is a traditional town situated on the slopes of the Anti-Lebanon mountains. It is known for its local hand-made carpet industry. The area is known to be one of the few places in the Anti-Lebanon with a good water supply. The Lebanese Ministry of Tourism brochure suggests that the name Arsal or Ersal means "God's Throne" in Aramaic. It documents several rock-cut benches (mastabas) in the village, numerous historical monuments in the nearby hills and an ancient fortified structure in the nearby Wadi Al-Toun of unknown date.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-08-16): The battle that pitted the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) against Islamist extremist groups led by the Islamic State (ISIS) in the border town of Arsal in early August 2014 has exposed a web of intertwined problems in Lebanon. Those problems have been exacerbated by the continued unrest in Syria, and the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq following the rise of ISIS. [...] Secondly, the battle in Arsal has shed light on Hezbollah’s role. The battle in Arsal was compared to that of Naher Bared Camp (NBC) in northern Lebanon, where the LAF fought the terrorist group, Fateh al-Islam, in 2007. The scenario in Arsal is quite different, however. In NBC, the LAF tightened their grip on the camp and deterred Fateh al-Islam. In Arsal, the LAF won the battle, but not the war. ISIS fighters have not only maintained a foothold on the outskirts of Arsal, but have also infiltrated the country’s fabric, thereby becoming a security time bomb for Lebanon. By pursuing its fight against opposition groups alongside the Syrian regime, in a flagrant violation of the Lebanese Government’s official disassociation policy, Hezbollah also provides Syrian-based extremist groups with a pretext to pursue their anti-Hezbollah operations on Lebanese territory.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-07-27): Arsal: Hezbollah, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham agree ceasefire [...] The rival fighters have "effectively lost" most of the land they held in the barren, mountainous border region of Jroud Arsal, he added. [...] The Lebanese army, a recipient of US and British military support, has not taken part in the offensive and has set up defensive positions around Arsal, which Nasrallah described as essential.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-11-30): Aarsal - insulation against the winter cold The ICRC and the Qatari Red Crescent have installed insulation in refugees' tents at Aarsal. Thousands of refugees are living in tented settlements after having fled the conflict in Syria. At more than 1300 m above sea level, Aarsal is one of Lebanon's coldest areas. Each winter, families struggle to survive in ill-equipped tents.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2013-12-31): Following the victory of the Syrian regime and their Hezbollah counterparts at al-Qusayr in early June 2013, Sunni extremist groups began conducting escalatory reprisal attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. In the months since, the predominantly Sunni Lebanese border town of Arsal, located directly across the border from the Qalamoun area where most of the surviving rebel fighters from al-Qusayr fled, has functioned as the primary staging area and support zone for these attacks into Lebanon. As a result, nearby Hezbollah strongholds in the Bekaa Valley are on high alert for potential car bombs and cross-border rocket attacks originating from elements in Arsal, forcing Hezbollah on the defensive in Lebanon. The Lebanese Army, meanwhile, has taken concrete measures to mitigate the threat posed by Syria to Lebanon via Arsal. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict nearly three years ago, Lebanon’s Arsal, a lone enclave in the eastern Bekaa Valley for Sunnis sympathetic to the Syrian uprising, has served as a crucial logistical support network in the struggle against the Assad regime. Located in the northeastern corner of Lebanon on the border with Syria, the town lies nearly equidistant from Hezbollah’s Bekaa Valley strongholds of Baalbek and Hermel. In spite of its isolated position, the geostrategic relevance of Arsal lies in its close proximity across the border from the contested Qalamoun mountain range. Qalamoun is an opposition stronghold in western Syria between Homs and Damascus that is currently the site of an intense battle for control of key supply lines along the M5 highway.