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Iraq-Jordan
Iran War Escalates
U.S. Central Command and Saudi Arabia launched joint strikes early Wednesday against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Iran responded hours later with a missile attack on U.S. bases in Jordan, but all missiles were intercepted and no significant damage occurred. The strikes in Iraq killed at least 20 members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Shia paramilitary organizations in Iraq, and wounded dozens more. The operation came in response to recent drone attacks allegedly directed by Iran, including strikes on U.S. forces and Saudi oil infrastructure. The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the regional conflict. It is the first major U.S. military action since the bombing campaign was suspended last Friday and signals Saudi Arabia’s increasing willingness to become directly involved in the conflict.
This map depicts the exchange of airstrikes between Iran with its Houthi allies and American forces working with Middle Eastern allies. Click on the map to learn more.
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Yemen
Houthis Plan Red Sea Toll
Western and Yemeni intelligence report that Yemen’s Houthis are considering toll fees on commercial ships passing through the southern Red Sea. Since July 20, the Houthis have imposed an embargo on Saudi Arabian ship traffic, and the proposed toll system would add new pressure to shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Iranian officials discussed the fee plan with Houthi officials during a July meeting in Tehran, with Iran wanting to explore a possible authority to regulate Bab al-Mandeb transit charges. It is suggested that Chinese vessels would be exempt from this toll due to separate direct talks between China and the Houthis to protect Chinese shipping through the southern Red Sea. This toll system would further strain Saudi Arabia’s economy, which has relied on Red Sea export routes as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
This map depicts how geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea impact global oil transit alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Anadolu Ajansi
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Zimbabwe
New Dinosaur Species Discovered
The fossils of a previously-unknown species of dinosaur have recently been discovered in Zimbabwe on the shores of Lake Kariba, on the border with Zambia. Scientists from the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and South Africa uncovered the remains of Musango matusadonaensis, dating back to the Late Triassic era. A collection of bones including the spine, ribs, arms, legs, and feet of the specimen was recovered. Utilizing osteohistological evidence and body mass estimation, scientists believe the dinosaur was around 8 years old and fully grown at the time of its death, and had once recovered from an infection. The discovery sheds more light on the paleontological history of southern Africa.
This map depicts the location of the discovery of the fossilized remains of the newly-identified dinosaur now named Musango mastusadonaensis. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Spanning 209,162 square miles (541,730 sq km), which geographic region has hosted the last 13 successful land speed record attempts thanks to the unique geologic properties of its surface constitution?
A: The Great Basin
The Great Basin holds the largest area (200,000 square miles [518,000 sq km]) of contiguous endorheic watershed, a geographical area with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. This arid area spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and parts of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California. Being drier than it was millions of years ago, the Great Basin holds several dry lake beds, including the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the land speed record was broken seventeen times, and the Lake Lahontan bed in the Black Rock Desert, where the last three successful attempts were made. The lake beds were left by millennia after millennia of water evaporating and leaving dissolved minerals behind, making for broad, flat, hard surfaces perfect for high-speed vehicle tests.
Source
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Q: Under colonial rule until 1975, which country in South America was the most recent to gain independence from a European colonial power?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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