Q: How many people alive today were born in the 1800s? — Dr. Armando K. Garza, Honolulu
A: There were 44 people in the world who were born in the 19th Century, as of Aug. 19, according to the Gerontology Research Group (www.grg.org). The group tracks supercentenarians, a term used to describe a person who is at least 110 years old. The oldest is Monroe's Besse Cooper, who will be 115 years old on Aug. 26. She was born in 1896. Atlanta's Leila Denmark, who is 113 -- she was born Feb. 1, 1898 -- is the third-oldest living American and seventh in the world, according to the group.
Q: In how many countries does the U.S. have military bases? Who are they? — Pat Hillman, Sandy Springs
A: The U.S. operates 662 bases in 38 foreign countries and 88 bases in seven U.S. Territories, according to the Department of Defense's 2010 Base Structure Report. The U.S. operates bases in Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, among other countries. There also is a joint British/U.S. base on the island of Diego Garcia, which is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. There are 218 bases in Germany, 115 in Japan and 86 in South Korea, according to the report.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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