An unusual tool for learning about the Darfur conflict is Google Earth. A variety of organizations and people gathered data for the software—photographs, testimony, statistics, and markers—to create a virtual overview.
See for yourself
Google Earth is a free download, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provides a layers file containing the project data.
- Download and open Google Earth
- Download and open the layers file
You should now see Darfur, with flame icons representing destroyed villages. Click, drag, and zoom to investigate.
- In the list of layers, under Primary Database – Global Awareness, will be USHMM: Crisis in Darfur containing several layers you can turn on and off.
- To zoom and center on Darfur, double-click the USHMM: Crisis in Darfur layer in the list.
- When clicking on an icon overlapping others, they will spread apart and you will need to click the target again.
Elsewhere
There’s been so much coverage of this project I hesitated to post—until I noticed most of the coverage didn’t have good links for people wanting to see for themselves.
The Ogle Earth blog has a comprehensive post with information and links for traditional media coverage.