Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The US President signed an executive order renaming Denali to Mount McKinley. It is the highest peak in North America, located in south-central Alaska in the Alaska Range. Denali is a massive granite block uplifted by tectonic activity about 60 million years ago. It rises 18,000 feet from the Denali Fault to its southern summit. The upper half is covered with snowfields feeding glaciers like Kahiltna, Muldrow, Peters, Ruth, and Traleika. Denali is the central feature of Denali National Park and Preserve.

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Mount Ibu, a stratovolcano in Indonesia, has erupted frequently in January 2024. Stratovolcanoes are cone-shaped volcanoes built from layers of lava and ash. They are known for their explosive eruptions due to the thick, slow-moving lava. Mount Ibu is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of high volcanic activity. It is characterized by frequent eruptions, including lava flows and ash plumes.

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The US President signed an executive order to prepare a large-scale migrant detention center at Guantánamo Bay. Guantánamo Bay, located in southeastern Cuba, is a sheltered inlet with strategic importance, near the Windward Passage. It is served by the ports of Caimanera and Boquerón. “Gitmo” has housed terrorism suspects since 9/11 and has a Migrant Operations Centre for migrants from Haiti and Cuba. The current facility is small and cannot accommodate the 30,000 detainees expected in the new center.

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The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting toward South Georgia Island after breaking from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf. South Georgia Island is a mountainous, barren island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, covering 3,756 sq.km. The island has over 160 glaciers and peaks like Mount Paget (2,935 m).

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New Zealand’s Foreign Minister expressed “significant concern” over the Cook Islands signing a cooperation deal with China. The Cook Islands is located in the South Pacific Ocean, between Tonga and French Polynesia. It is a self-governing nation with a “free association” pact with New Zealand. The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands, divided into northern (coral atolls) and southern (volcanic, densely populated) groups.

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Monitoring lake changes is essential for sustaining ecosystems but is often missing in rejuvenation efforts. Lake Sapanca in northwestern Turkiye faces degradation due to urbanization and industrial expansion. Lake Sapanca is located in Turkey, specifically between the provinces of Sakarya to the east and Kocaeli to the west.

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Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to maintain communal harmony at Thiruparankundram hill. Thiruparankundram hill is located in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu and has historical and religious significance. It houses the rock-cut Thiruparankundram temple, built in the 8th century by the Pandyas. It is one of six temples of Lord Muruga, the son of warrior goddess Korravai. The hill also has a Muslim shrine of Sikandar Shah, the last Sultan of the Madurai Sultanate. Jain caves are also found here, adding to its religious diversity.

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Nauru, a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean, plans to sell citizenships to fund the relocation of 10,000 residents threatened by rising sea levels. It is the world’s smallest republic, covering 8 square miles, with a population of 12,500. It is located 1,300 km northeast of the Solomon Islands, its closest neighbor is Banaba in Kiribati. A fossilized coral atoll, it is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific.

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Vietnam’s foreign ministry recently published a map defining its claim in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin is also called “Beibu Gulf” in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese. It is a shallow, semi-enclosed water body in the northwestern South China Sea. It is bordered by Vietnam’s northern coast, China’s Guangxi region, the Leizhou Peninsula, and Hainan Island. It connects to the South China Sea via its southern mouth and the Hainan Strait in the northeast. Major ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy in Vietnam and Beihai in China.

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New Zealand’s High Court overturned the conviction of White Island’s owners after the 2019 volcanic eruption that killed 22 people. White Island (Whakaari) is an active composite stratovolcano in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, located 48 km off Whakatāne. It is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, formed over 150,000 years. The 2019 eruption was its last major event, causing fatalities and injuries. The island, privately owned, was declared a private scenic reserve in 1953, attracting tourism and scientific research. It features hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles and was named by Captain James Cook in 1769.