https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yNKTjkGzEZA Apr 5, 2025 How did the USA go from just 13 colonies to one of the biggest countries on Earth? 🌎 In only 100 years, the United States expanded 11 times its original size! 🤯 It all began in 1776, when the colonies declared independence from Britain 🇬🇧. After winning the Revolutionary War, they gained land up to the Mississippi River through the Treaty of Paris 📜 Then came a giant leap — the Louisiana Purchase from France 🇫🇷 which doubled the country’s size 🧩 Florida 🌴 was taken partly by force and partly bought from Spain 🇪🇸. Texas broke away from Mexico 🇲🇽 and joined the U.S., triggering the Mexican-American War ⚔️ — which brought the entire West under U.S. control 🌄 Mass migration along the Oregon Trail led to a deal with Britain, setting the northern border at the 49th parallel 📍. And finally, a purchase from Russia added Alaska ❄️ — the last massive piece of the continental puzzle. GeoGlobeTales
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LJDw0JDzRKs Mar 2, 2025 Why does the U.S. have two Virginias? 🇺🇸 Originally, Virginia was one state—one of the first 13 colonies and the first British colony in North America. For over 250 years, it remained united, but the Civil War ⚔️ changed everything. In 1861, the U.S. split: the North fought to abolish slavery, while the South defended it. Virginia sided with the Confederacy, but its mountainous western region ⛰️ refused to follow. Unlike the South, which thrived on large plantations 🌾, this region relied on small farms 🚜 and mining ⛏️ with no dependence on slavery. Seeing better opportunities with the Union 🤝 they decided to break away. Right in the middle of the war, they formed their own government and, in 1863, officially became the state of West Virginia! One state became two, shaping the history of the U.S. forever! GeoGlobeTales
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6yqQ2N7Yy1Q Mar 1, 2025 Have you ever wondered how far you could swim in a straight line without touching land? 🌍 It’s not across the Pacific or from pole to pole—surprisingly, the longest possible swim stretches from Pakistan to Russia! 🏊♂️ Using advanced computer modeling, researchers found that this 20,000-mile route follows a perfect straight line on a globe. It starts in Pakistan, crosses the Arabian Sea 🌊 passes Madagascar 🏝️ rounds Cape Agulhas at Africa’s southern tip, and cuts through the Atlantic Ocean. Then, it takes a perilous journey through the Drake Passage, famous for its towering waves 🌊 and dangerous icebergs 🧊 From there, the path crosses the entire Pacific Ocean, passing Polynesian islands before reaching its final destination in the Bering Sea, near Kamchatka, Russia. At first glance, this journey doesn’t look straight on a regular map, but on a globe, it’s a perfectly aligned line across the planet! 🌎 GeoGlobeTales