The Americas stretch from the Arctic Circle in Canada to the southern tip of Chile. This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world &mdash; an ascendance aided in part by bringing Mexico and Canada into its sphere of influence. Farther south, the nations of South America are like islands, separated by vast spaces of impenetrable mountains, rivers and jungles. Try though these countries may to integrate more closely, deeper ties such as those that characterize North America will prove elusive.

This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world

Americas

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Barbados

Belize

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Suriname

Bahamas

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Uruguay

Venezuela

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Greenland

Jamaica

Venezuela's Unraveling

Colombian Peace Process

Security Challenges in Latin America

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Importance of Mexico

North America Unrivaled

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Crossing Borders

Snapshots

The candidates running in Costa Rica's 2026 presidential election participate in a debate at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Jan. 11, 2026. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Although the president cannot run for reelection, his hand-picked successor will likely win the vote, keeping the right wing at the helm.

Costa Rica's Upcoming Election Will Likely Yield Policy Continuity

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump (center) holds up his signature on the founding charter among world leaders during a ceremony for the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The U.S.-led endeavor's immediate priority will be expanding aid in Gaza, but internal divisions, international skepticism and Israeli interference will likely undermine its effectiveness, especially if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapses.

What To Make of Trump's 'Board of Peace'

The Federal Reserve's headquarters is seen in Washington, D.C.

Trump will soon be able to nominate a new Fed chair and governor. But unless the Supreme Court vastly increases the president's power to dismiss Fed governors, the bank will retain its independence, limiting the risk of market instability.

U.S. Fed Independence: Assessing Threats From Trump Nominations, Court Rulings

India

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a hotel in New York City on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting on Sept. 22, 2025. 

Global Trade

A trade deal could gradually reduce barriers in the tech, industrial and energy sectors, but progress will likely remain constrained by U.S. tariff uncertainty and India's reluctance to make concessions in sensitive sectors like agriculture.

Where Things Stand in U.S.-India Trade Talks

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: Jan. 22, 2026

Sub-Saharan Africa

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mali

Mozambique

Niger

Nigeria

Sudan

Togo

Structures destroyed in U.S. strikes on jihadist targets in Offa, Nigeria, are seen on Dec. 27, 2025.

New U.S. military action would most likely target jihadist groups, especially in West Africa, but limited strikes in Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo to force belligerents there to de-escalate also cannot be ruled out.

The Outlook for New U.S. Strikes in Africa

Europe

Germany

Finland

Denmark

France

Sweden

United Kingdom

Norway

Netherlands

The HDMS Knud Rasmussen ship of the Danish Navy patrols the waters off of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 20, 2026. 

Trump's threatened tariffs over his bid to acquire Greenland have turned the U.S.-EU trade dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation, raising the risk of a sustained trade war that would severely strain transatlantic economic ties and NATO cohesion.

Trump's Greenland Tariff Threat Escalates Transatlantic Tensions

Columns

On Geopolitics

China

U.S. protectionism has dramatically weakened the rules-based, multilateral trade regime established after World War II, driving governments to increasingly view trade through a national security lens rather than purely an economic one.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Conclusion

Vietnam

Switzerland

Ukraine

Russia

A sniper police officer on the Congress hotel during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, 2025, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Davos, Europe Steps Up Greenland Deployments

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Environment, Science & Technology

The Chinese government granted Chinese tech giants ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent approvals to purchase a combined total of more than 400,000 Nvidia H200 chips, according to Reuters sources on Jan. 28.

China, U.S.: Beijing Conditionally Allows Some Nvidia H200 Chip Imports

U.S.-China Relations

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that if he could run for reelection, he would win in the first round, and he resumed calls to rewrite the country's constitution, Infobae reported on Jan. 27. 

Colombia: Petro Floats Constitutional Change To Run for Reelection Amid Popularity Boost

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would introduce the Save the Kurds Act, which would impose sanctions on those threatening Syria's Kurdish population, and criticized the Syrian government and Turkey for their lightning offensive against the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, The National reported on Jan. 27.

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

Iraq

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid to Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki becomes prime minister again in a Truth Social post days after the Shiite Coordination Framework, or SCF, an umbrella organization of pro-Iranian Shiite political parties, nominated him, Reuters reported on Jan. 27.

Iraq, U.S.: Trump Threatens To Cut Aid to Iraq if Al-Maliki Becomes Prime Minister

South Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Jan. 26 that he was increasing "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea as well as tariffs on South Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals and lumber goods from 15% to 25% because the South Korean legislature has failed to "enact our Historic Trade Agreement."

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a 50-minute call on Jan. 26, g1 reported.

U.S., Brazil: New Call Between Presidents Indicates Room for Pragmatic Relationship, Despite Divergences

Energy

The Trump administration is planning to establish a permanent CIA presence in Venezuela to support the United States' increased footprint there, CNN reported on Jan. 27. 

U.S., Venezuela: CIA Presence in Venezuela Points to Trump's Long-Term Ambitions

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is travelling to China for a three-day visit starting Jan. 27, marking the first such trip by a British leader since 2018, Reuters reported the same day.

U.K., China: Starmer To Visit Beijing Amid Revival of High-Level Economic Engagement

Americas

SITUATION REPORTS

China, U.S.: Beijing Conditionally Allows Some Nvidia H200 Chip Imports

Colombia: Petro Floats Constitutional Change To Run for Reelection Amid Popularity Boost

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

Iraq, U.S.: Trump Threatens To Cut Aid to Iraq if Al-Maliki Becomes Prime Minister

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

U.S., Brazil: New Call Between Presidents Indicates Room for Pragmatic Relationship, Despite Divergences

U.S., Venezuela: CIA Presence in Venezuela Points to Trump's Long-Term Ambitions

U.K., China: Starmer To Visit Beijing Amid Revival of High-Level Economic Engagement

Forecasts

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