Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Environmentalists have raised concerns over a proposed 100 megawatt solar power project near Sambhar Lake, stating that it may damage the fragile wetland ecosystem and biodiversity of the region. Sambhar Lake, located in the Jaipur and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan, is the largest inland saltwater lake in India and has an elliptical shape. The saline wetland is surrounded by the Aravalli Hills and is fed by five streams, namely Rupangarh, Mendha, Samoad, Khari, and Khandela. It was designated as a Ramsar Site in 1990 because of its ecological significance and importance for migratory birds and wetland biodiversity.

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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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Rottnest Island recently came into news after a suspected shark attack near the island led to the death of a tourist. Rottnest Island is located in the Indian Ocean, about 19 km northwest of Fremantle near Perth in Australia. The island is known for its sand dunes, salt lakes, and protected wildlife. It was named “Rottenest” by Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh, who mistook quokkas for large rats. Quokkas, a rare marsupial species, are now protected due to the island’s wildlife sanctuary status. Rottnest Island currently serves as a major tourist and recreational destination.

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Pulicat Lake attracts birdwatchers and photographers from across South India who visit the lake to witness graceful flamingos in its calm waters. Pulicat Lake is a large brackish water lagoon situated along the Bay of Bengal coast. It is the second-largest brackish water lagoon in India after Chilika Lake. The lake spreads across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and is separated from the Bay of Bengal by Sriharikota Island.

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A recent submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea has highlighted the limited mapping of Earth’s deep ocean floor. The Bismarck Sea is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean near the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea. It is surrounded by the Bismarck Archipelago, including the Admiralty Islands, New Ireland, and New Britain. The sea connects to the Pacific Ocean and the Solomon Sea through the Vitiaz and Dampier Straits and St. George’s Channel.

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A fire and two powerful explosions at a shipyard on Staten Island caused one civilian death and injured around 36 people. Staten Island is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. Historically, the island was inhabited by the Native American Lenape community before Dutch and English settlement. Staten Island is popularly known as the “Borough of Parks” because of its extensive parks, forests, and green spaces.

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Kopra Reservoir has emerged as a national biodiversity model reflecting the 2026 International Day for Biological Diversity theme — “Local Action, Global Impact.” It is the first Ramsar Site in Chhattisgarh. The reservoir serves as an important wetland ecosystem and supports regional communities through hydrological and socio-economic benefits. It is also a crucial habitat for aquatic biodiversity and migratory birds.

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Rapid melting of the Ghepan Glacier is posing a threat to Sissu Village. Ghepan Lake, also called Ghepang Ghat glacial lake, is located at an altitude of 4,068 metres above Sissu, Himachal Pradesh. It is a moraine-dammed glacial lake formed behind natural deposits of rocks, sand, and debris left by retreating glaciers. According to the National Remote Sensing Centre, the lake nearly tripled in size between 1989 and 2022. The National Disaster Management Authority has classified the lake as “highly vulnerable”.

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A recent study reconstructed nearly 4,000 years of climate and vegetation history of Majuli Island using pollen-based palaeoecological evidence. Majuli is the world’s largest inhabited river island and is culturally important as a centre of Neo-Vaishnavite culture and settlement of several tribal communities. The island is located between the Brahmaputra River and the Subansiri River in Assam. The study examined climate variability, vegetation changes, and flood patterns over thousands of years to better understand environmental changes in the region.

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Shiveluch Volcano recently erupted, sending ash plumes nearly 10 km into the atmosphere and triggering red-level aviation alerts in Russia’s Far East. It is one of the largest and most active volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Shiveluch is a stratovolcano, formed by alternating layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic rocks.