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Iran
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Build
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the open ocean beyond, remains effectively blocked, with 17 vessels attempting transit having been struck and 500 oil tankers idling in the Persian Gulf west of the strait. The United States and Iran have hardened their antagonistic positions, with U.S. ally Israel announcing it has killed the Iranian naval chief who oversaw the blocking of the strait. Tehran has allegedly begun charging transit fees to the trickle of ships it’s letting through the waterway, against U.S.-Israeli demands. The strait’s geography presents an enormous challenge to its reopening, with its narrow width and shallow waters forcing ships within miles of Iran’s shores. This allows Iran to use small, widely dispersed weapons hidden in cliffs, caves, and tunnels, that can be fired at close range and are hard to intercept. Warships that could escort tankers are ineffective in narrow waterways, and a successful strike by an undersea mine would destroy the confidence of ship owners and insurance companies that escorts can provide sufficient protection.
This map depicts the vulnerabilities along the chokepoints of the Strait of Hormuz that complicate its reopening. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: New York Times
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United States
Decline in Net Immigration
Every metro area in the United States experienced a decline in net immigration in 2025 compared to the previous year, while only 25 percent of all counties saw overall population growth. In particular, counties along the U.S.-Mexico border and large urban areas such as Denver, Los Angeles, and New York City faced over 50 percent drops in immigration rates. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that this negative trend will continue in 2026 in conjunction with already declining birth rates throughout the country. The effects of this decline will be felt unevenly, as states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Coast depend most heavily on immigration to sustain population growth. These regions will have trouble sustaining a workforce in an overall decline in the domestic job market. States which benefit more strongly from domestic migration (migration from other locations within the United States), including Montana and Idaho, are better equipped to maintain their workforce and population growth.
This map depicts the declining net immigration in U.S. counties. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: New York Times
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World
Steep Decline in Freshwater Fish
Migratory freshwater fish are in steep decline, with populations dropping an estimated 81 percent since 1970, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Researchers have identified 325 international migratory freshwater fish species in need of urgent support under the United Nations’ Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The river basins flagged as priorities for protection are the Amazon and La Plata-Paraná basins in South America, the Danube in Europe, the Mekong and Ganges-Brahmaputra in Asia, and the Nile in Africa. The decline is driven by a combination of dam construction, overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat fragmentation, which prevent many species from completing their necessary journeys between spawning grounds, feeding areas, and floodplain nurseries. Established in 1979, the CMS is a global treaty that brings countries together to protect species that move across borders. With more than half of earth’s rivers being shared by two or more countries, cross-border cooperation is required for the conservation efforts of these species.
This map depicts at-risk migratory freshwater fish species per continent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Reaching a blistering 159.3 degrees Fahrenheit (70.7 degrees Celsius) in 2005, which desert holds the record for highest land surface temperature ever recorded?
A: Lut Desert
The Lut Desert, or Dasht-e Lut, a salt desert which stretches for 20,000 square miles (51,800 sq km) in eastern Iran reached a record land surface temperature (LST) of 159.3°F (70.7°C) in 2005, as measured by satellite data. According to a paper published in May 2021 by the American Meteorological Society, the record was likely underestimated and the Lut Desert likely reached an even higher temperature of 177.4°F (80.8°C) if measured with the latest Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) software from NASA. Between 2002 and 2019, this patch of sand regularly reached blistering extremes. This is likely because it’s nestled between a range of mountains, which trap hot air above the dunes, especially the areas covered in black volcanic rock.
Source
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Q: Within the borders of which U.S. state was the first Asian-American settlement created by Filipino fishermen?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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