Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Two young Indian Navy officers aboard INSV Tarini recently crossed Point Nemo in the southern Pacific during Navika Sagar Parikrama-II. Point Nemo is the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, the farthest point from any landmass on Earth. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is named after Captain Nemo from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It lies about 2,688 km from the nearest land. The closest human presence is often astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The region has minimal marine life and is used for space junk disposal due to its remoteness.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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).

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Amsterdam Island, also called Nouvelle Amsterdam, is a small French territory in the southern Indian Ocean. It is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories and is located midway between Australia, Antarctica, Madagascar, and other regions. The island is about 3,200 km away from neighboring territories. Amsterdam Island is an elliptical-shaped volcanic island, covering 55 sq.km with a 10 km length and 7 km width. The island has been burning for nearly a month.

Notes:
The Israel-Hamas conflict has escalated, leading to a fragile ceasefire brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar. A key issue is Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic area along Gaza’s border with Egypt. The corridor is a 14 km long, 100-meter-wide strip, including the Rafah crossing and Kerem Shalom crossing. It was designated a demilitarized zone under the 1979 Camp David treaty. After Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority took control, but Hamas seized it in 2007.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
A six-day survey in Majuli River Island, Assam, highlights rising human-wildlife conflict (HWC) concerns. Majuli is the world’s largest river island in Assam, covering 421 sq. km, formed by the Brahmaputra and Subansiri Rivers. It became India’s first island district in 2016 and is known for its lush greenery, water bodies, and paddy fields. The island is a hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture, with Satras preserving dance, literature, theatre, and mask-making.

Notes:
Fugitive ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi has applied to surrender his Indian passport and has acquired Vanuatu citizenship. Vanuatu is a small island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 83 islands, with only 65 inhabited, forming an irregular Y shape. It lies east of Australia and north of New Zealand, between Australia and Fiji. The landscape includes mountains, plateaus, hills, terraces, and coral reefs. It has several active volcanoes, including Mount Yasur. The capital and largest city is Port Vila on Efate Island. The country’s currency is the vatu.