Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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A Comptroller and Auditor General of India report highlighted that 518 lakes (74%) in Jammu and Kashmir have disappeared or shrunk, causing ecosystem degradation and climate risks. Hokersar Lake is a high-altitude wetland in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, at 1,583 m elevation. Known as the “Queen Wetland of Kashmir,” it is a Ramsar Site (designated 2005). It is connected to the Jhelum River through channels sustaining its ecosystem.

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More than 1,000 Roman artefacts were discovered in Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland, providing insights into life during the Roman Empire. Lake Neuchâtel is the largest lake entirely within Switzerland and lies at the base of the Jura Mountains. It was formed during the last Ice Age (period of extensive glaciation about 15,000 years ago) due to melting glaciers carving valleys. The lake is about 38.3 kilometres (km) long and 8.2 km wide, covering 212.33 square kilometres (sq km).

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China is deploying ships and barriers to tighten control over the entrance of the Scarborough Shoal. The move has escalated tensions with the Philippines, which also claims the shoal. The Scarborough Shoal is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea claimed by China and the Philippines. It is known as Huangyan Island (China) and Panatag Shoal / Bajo de Masinloc (Philippines). It lies about 220 km west of Luzon (Philippines) and over 800 km southeast of Hong Kong. It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea, covering around 150 sq. km with a shallow lagoon.

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The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has warned about severe ecological degradation of Hokersar Lake, with over 2,500 kanals encroached. Hokersar Lake is a natural wetland near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, spread over 13.75 square kilometres at an altitude of about 1,585 metres. It lies in the Jhelum River basin and is mainly fed by the Doodhganga River, a tributary of the Jhelum. It is the largest bird sanctuary in Kashmir Valley and a Ramsar site, hosting around 68 species of migratory waterfowl from Siberia, Central Asia, and Northern Europe.

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Hussain Sagar Lake is facing severe foul odour due to heavy algal bloom during rising summer temperatures. Algal bloom occurs due to eutrophication, where excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus enter the water. Hussain Sagar Lake is an artificial lake in Hyderabad, built in 1562 AD under Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. It is located on a tributary of the Musi River and is among Asia’s largest man-made lakes. The lake is also called Tank Bund and connects Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

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Pompeii is a preserved Roman city near Naples, Italy, at the base of Mount Vesuvius. It was founded around the 6th century BCE by the Samnites and later became part of the Roman Empire. The city was destroyed and buried in 79 CE due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The eruption preserved the city under ash, providing a unique snapshot of Roman life. Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748, revealing buildings, artifacts, and human remains. It offers one of the most complete archaeological records of an ancient city. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, AI has helped reconstruct the face and final moments of a victim of the eruption.

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Nepal has objected to India resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Lipulekh Pass, citing the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. India has rejected the claim, stating that Lipulekh has been a traditional route for the yatra. Lipulekh Pass is a high-altitude mountain pass located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It lies near the trijunction of India, Nepal, and China, making it strategically significant. The pass connects Uttarakhand in India with the Tibet region of China. It is situated at an altitude of about 5,334 metres (approximately 17,500 feet).

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Tristan da Cunha was recently in news after British military medics conducted a parachute mission there to assist a suspected hantavirus patient from the cruise ship MV Hondius. Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic archipelago and the largest island in the South Atlantic Ocean, located midway between southern Africa and South America. It is regarded as the world’s most remote inhabited island chain. The islands were discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, after whom the archipelago is named.

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Mount Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia has recently drawn scientific attention after researchers detected fresh batches of hot magma rising from deep underground, raising concerns about possible volcanic activity in the future. Mount Uturuncu is a dormant stratovolcano located in the Andes Mountains of southwestern Bolivia. It is known as a “zombie volcano” because it shows signs of activity despite being considered dormant. Beneath the volcano lies the massive Altiplano-Puna Magma Body, one of the largest active magma reservoirs in Earth’s crust. The volcano displays a unique “sombrero” pattern where the central region rises while surrounding land subsides.

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Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, Israel recently pushed deeper into Lebanon and captured the historic Beaufort Castle along with the surrounding strategic ridge. Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif or the “Castle of the High Rock,” is a medieval fortress located near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. The castle was originally built by Crusaders in the 12th century and later came under Muslim, Mamluk, and Ottoman control. It is considered one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Near East and has strong defensive architecture with a high castle and a low castle.