Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Iran attempted cloud-seeding over the Lake Urmia basin to induce rainfall amid its worst drought in decades. Lake Urmia is located in northwestern Iran, fed by rivers including Zarīneh and Sīmīneh. The lake has lost over 90% of its original water volume due to damming, agricultural diversion, and climate stress. It is designated as a Ramsar Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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Researchers found a nearly intact ancient pottery vessel near Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, dating back over 10,000 years. It is Japan’s largest freshwater lake on Honshu, about 64 kilometres long and 672 square kilometres in area. The lake looks like a biwa musical instrument and is over four million years old. It is fed by mountain rivers and drains into Osaka Bay through the Yodo River. It supports fish, pearl culture, water supply, textile industries, and was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1993.

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An Indian Army mountaineering team from Eastern Command successfully summited Mount Kangto, standing at 7,042 metres, for the first recorded time. Mount Kangto is the highest peak of Arunachal Pradesh and is located in the Kameng Himalayas. The team approached and climbed the peak via the challenging southern route. The achievement marked Mount Kangto as no longer an unconquered peak. The team was “Flagged In” by Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) RC Tiwari, Army Commander of the Eastern Command.

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Fresh lava fountains erupted from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, almost a year after its ongoing eruptive phase began. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located in the southeastern part of Hawaii Island, United States. It is a shield-type volcano, formed due to the Hawaiian hot spot. The summit caldera contains the lava lake Halema‘uma‘u, considered the home of the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Pele.

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Japan plans to conduct test mining of rare-earth-rich mud from the deep seabed near Minamitori Island. Minamitori Island, also called Marcus Island, is an isolated coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost point of Japan and the first place in the country to see sunrise. The island lies about 1,950 kilometres southeast of central Tokyo. It is the summit of a giant seamount on the Marcus–Necker Ridge and lies on the Pacific Plate. The island has a transitional tropical–subtropical oceanic climate with an average temperature of about 25.6°C. Waters around the island contain valuable marine minerals like rare-earth muds and cobalt-rich crusts.

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Gandikota Canyon, located in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, is emerging as a major geological and heritage tourist site, often called the Grand Canyon of India. A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with cliffs, formed mainly by long-term erosion from rivers and other natural forces, exposing rock layers that reveal geological history. Gandikota Canyon lies within the Erramala Hills on the banks of the Penna River, forming a deep gorge carved through red sandstone and granite over millions of years. It is part of the Rayalaseema plateau, within the Deccan peninsular system.

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Recently, scientists captured the first three-dimensional (3D) images from inside Popocatepetl volcano, improving understanding of its internal structure. Popocatepetl means “Smoking Mountain” in the Aztec Nahuatl language, reflecting its frequent activity. It is located in central Mexico, about 72 kilometres southeast of Mexico City, on the border of México and Puebla states. The volcano lies on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, formed by subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate. It is one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes, erupting since 1519, and rises to 5,452 metres above sea level.

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Recently, Kruger National Park was temporarily closed to day visitors due to severe flooding after prolonged heavy rainfall. Kruger National Park is South Africa’s largest and oldest national park, globally famous for wildlife conservation. It is located in northeastern South Africa across Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, bordering Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The park was first proclaimed as Sabi Game Reserve in 1898 and became a national park in 1926.

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A Chinese reconnaissance drone recently flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea, which Taiwan described as “provocative and irresponsible.” The Pratas Islands, also called the Dongsha Islands, consist of three islands, with Dongsha Island being the only one above sea level; the other two are submerged. The islands have a circular atoll structure made mainly of clastic coral and reef flats.

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Authorities launched a major search after a helicopter went missing near the highly active Mount Aso volcano in Japan. Mount Aso is located in Kumamoto Prefecture (Ken), Kyushu, Japan. It rises to an elevation of about 1,592 metres. It is the largest active volcano in Japan. Mount Aso has the world’s largest active caldera, about 114 kilometres in circumference.