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Russia-Ukraine
Trading Airstrikes
Ukraine and Russia have been trading airstrikes on each others’ capitals and other targets. On Saturday night into Sunday, Russia launched a five-hour air assault on Kyiv, a presumed response for an earlier Ukrainian attack that targeted a logistics facility for Wildberries, a major Russian e-commerce company, which the Ukrainian government claims is part of the Russian military’s production system for drones and other military electronics. This morning, Ukraine launched 400 drones at the Moscow region, with regional Russian authorities claiming ten people were injured. With the frontline of traditional combat in Ukraine largely stalled, the two countries are increasingly concentrating on airstrikes, with Ukraine particularly concentrating its efforts against energy production facilities and oil tankers, crippling Russian income from fossil fuels and driving gasoline shortages across Russia. Russia has gathered its air defenses around the capital region, leaving most of the country within firing range of Ukraine’s drones and missiles unprotected.
This map depicts Ukraine and Russia, highlighting Moscow, where a Ukrainian drone attack this morning hit a logistics facility for a major Russian e-commerce company. Click on the map to learn more.
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Yemen
Houthi Blockade on Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia declared an immediate maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening regional shipping and global energy markets and opening a new front against the United States in its war on Iran. This move is a direct response to what the group describes as an “unjust and oppressive siege” of restrictions on Yemen by Saudi Arabia within one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. Iran had pressed the Houthis to close the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea if the U.S. continued to attack Iranian power infrastructure. The full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait would reduce global oil supply by 7%, as most Saudi oil exports would be unable to leave the region. The disruption will add to the massive cut to global oil flows driven by the war in the Gulf, which has already reduced shipments by 10% of global supply.
This map depicts the potential attack route by Houthi forces following their threat to completely close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to Saudi Arabian vessels if the naval and aerial blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and the United States are not lifted. Click on the map to learn more.
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Benin
Coastal Coral Reefs Thriving
Coral reefs off the coast of Benin previously believed to be dead were recently discovered to be thriving. The discovery was made by a team of researchers at Institut de Recherches de Halieutiques et Oceanologiques du Benin, led by Gerard Zinzindohoue. The reefs, in the ocean’s mesophotic zone at a depth of 100-500 feet (30-150 m), were surveyed using underwater acoustic sonar drones, in addition to the Deep Sea Camera System provided by the National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab. These mesophotic “twilight” habitats are deep, dimly lit marine ecosystems that bridge the gap between shallow water reefs and the deep sea, sustaining highly unique biodiversity. At least eight fish species and eight coral types were identified, indicating a healthy and thriving ecosystem. The recent discovery is considered as the first confirmed living record of a mesophotic coral system on the West African coast, shedding light on an overlooked biome.
This map depicts the location of coral reefs surveyed on the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Benin. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which South American country has the smallest coastline at 220 miles (354 km), and the majority of its population living in its narrow coastal plain?
A: Suriname
Suriname is the smallest independent country in South America, with a coastline that borders the Atlantic Ocean. The country has some of the world’s highest biodiversity, with 90% of the entire country being covered by tropical rainforest. Most Surinamers live in the urban areas of the northeastern coastal region of the country. Paramaribo is the country’s capital, largest city, and chief port, and is located 9 miles (15 km) from the ocean. Due to colonial rule from the 1600s to the 1900s, Paramaribo was passed from the French to the English to the Dutch, which shows in the colonial architecture throughout the city.
Source
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Q: What country is home to the oldest continually arid desert on Earth and the driest non-polar region globally?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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