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United States-Venezuela
U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean
The U.S. military has struck another boat in the Caribbean, resulting in two people being killed out of the total 34 who have been killed in eight total attacks. The Trump administration has been increasing its military warship and aircraft presence in the Caribbean in an “armed conflict” against drug trafficking to the U.S., as stated by War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. President Donald Trump. This has increased tensions with the Venezuelan military. Since September, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has continued to deny U.S. charges of narcoterrorism against his government.
This map depicts the 10 US ships, along with the warships and aircrafts, currently deployed in the Caribbean Sea region. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Govt. Pushes Drilling in Alaska
The U.S. Department of the Interior moved to reopen large parts of Alaska to fossil fuel drilling projects. Officials said they will hold an oil and gas lease sale this winter in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain, a 1.56 million acre area (6,313 square km). Supporters say the moves boost jobs, revenue, and energy independence. Conversely, critics warn of harm to polar bear habitat, caribou herds, and migratory birds, while promising lawsuits. Oil companies have shown limited interest so far due to the region’s remoteness, while banks have pledged not to finance some projects due to similar reservations about profitability. Meanwhile Indigenous groups are split, with some citing potential economic benefits and others calling the coastal plain sacred and vital to subsistence hunting. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the coastal plain may hold 4.3 to 11.8 billion barrels of oil, yet previous lease sales also drew few bidders, leaving the scale of development uncertain.
This map depicts the location of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, with the area earmarked for drilling indicated on the north coast as “1002 AREA” in darker green. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters
The financial toll of weather and climate disasters in the United States broke all records in the first half of 2025, according to a new tracker published by Climate Central, a non-profit that tracks climate. There were 14 separate, weather-related disasters causing at least $1 billion in damages between January and June, including the Southern California wildfires, which cost $60 billion and destroyed entire neighborhoods. The fires were the costliest wildfire disaster ever and the most expensive U.S. disaster of the year so far. In all, the disasters led to 174 deaths and totaled $101 billion in damages – or about as much as New York City’s budget in 2022. The U.S. experienced an average of three billion-dollar disasters each year in the 1980s. There are now around 20 each year, and no state has been spared from at least one billion-dollar disaster.
This map depicts billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S. in 2025. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which European country is almost entirely landlocked except for a narrow 12-mile (19 km) strip of coastline?
A: Bosnia and Herzegovina
The mostly landlocked country of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located on the Balkan Peninsula and has a narrow, 12.4-mile (20 km) coastline on the Adriatic Sea. The country consists of two land regions, Bosnia in the north and Herzegovina in the south. Bosnia is mountainous and covered with thick forests, while Herzegovina is made up of mainly flat farmlands and rocky hills. Within its borders, the country is divided into two entities: the Bosniak/Croat Federation, which comprises 51% of the territory, and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska, which consists of 49%. Islam, Orthodox Christianity, and Roman Catholicism are all present in the country and mostly fall along the three major ethnic groups – Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, respectively. The multiethnic population, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s geographic position between Serbia and Croatia has made it a vulnerable location for territorial aspirations.
Source
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Q: Which African country was the first to a sign a statement including the protection of the environment into its constitution?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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