Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Kanlaon Volcano in the Negros Island Region recently emitted an ash plume about 200 metres above the volcano’s summit. It is a stratovolcano located on Negros Island, Philippines, and is the tallest peak in the Visayas region, about 2,465 metres above sea level. It is one of the active volcanoes of the Philippines and forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has many pyroclastic cones and craters with a broad caldera and crater lake at the summit.

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Crete is the largest island of Greece and the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the southern Aegean Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea. The island is surrounded by the Sea of Crete to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. Crete has a rugged mountainous landscape, with mountains extending broadly from west to east. Mount Ida (Psiloritis) is the highest point of the island. Its economy is largely based on tourism, agriculture and shipping. The island recently came into the news after more than 300 migrants were reportedly rescued off the coast of Crete.

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US President Donald Trump has ordered US authorities to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in official US geographic naming. The change applies to US government usage only; the US cannot compel Canada to adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes and is shared by the United States and Canada. The international border runs through Lake Ontario, with New York to the south and Ontario, Canada to the north. The name Ontario has Indigenous origins and is associated with the Huron word oniatarí, referring to a “lake of shining waters.”

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Recently, the Lahaul-Spiti district administration announced the installation of an Early Warning System (EWS) at Ghepan Glacial Lake in September 2026 to strengthen monitoring and reduce the risk of glacial lake-related disasters. Ghepan Glacial Lake is located in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, at an altitude of around 4,070 metres. The initiative is important for disaster risk reduction in the Himalayan region, particularly in view of the threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).

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Maharashtra authorities have been directed to conduct an objective assessment of unauthorised structures around Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivneri Fort, located in Pune district, Maharashtra, is historically significant as the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The fort was associated with the Yadavas of Devagiri and later came under several ruling powers. It was an important defensive stronghold overlooking the Junnar region and surrounding trade routes.

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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured the strategic Mayun Island, also known as Perim Island. The island is located in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the entrance to the Red Sea. Mayun lies approximately 3.5 km off Yemen’s western coast. The island is a small, barren volcanic island with major strategic importance because of its location along a key maritime route. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

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China is carrying out large-scale vegetation planting around the Taklamakan Desert to control desertification, sandstorms and wind erosion. The initiative is linked mainly to China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Program, launched in 1978. The programme has increased vegetation particularly along the edges of the desert. It is located in western China. It lies mainly within the Tarim Basin, between the Kunlun Mountains to the south and the Tian Shan Mountains to the north. It is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world. It is a cold desert, with very hot summers and extremely cold winters. The desert is famous for its vast sand dunes and extremely low precipitation.

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Sohar Port has emerged as an important gateway for Indian shippers seeking access to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries amid the West Asia crisis. It is located in northern Oman near the Strait of Hormuz. The port is in discussions with Indian logistics operators and terminal operators for setting up facilities. Both captive berths and multipurpose terminals are being explored with Indian companies.

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Scientists have identified a new penguin species for the first time in more than 100 years. The new species is called Pygoscelis kerguelensis, commonly known as the southeastern gentoo penguin. It is found on the remote Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean, north of Antarctica. The archipelago consists of Grande Terre, the main island, along with more than 300 smaller islands and islets.

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Aldabra Atoll is located in the western Indian Ocean and forms part of the Outer Islands of Seychelles. A recent survey estimated approximately 180,000 Aldabra giant tortoises, exceeding Seychelles’ human population of around 122,000. Aldabra Atoll and the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador are the two places where giant tortoises still roam freely in the wild. During the 19th century, hunting and exploitation reduced the Aldabra giant tortoise population to fewer than 1,000, bringing the species close to extinction. Strict conservation measures helped the population recover, making it an important wildlife conservation success story. Aldabra became an IUCN Strict Nature Reserve in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.