Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Taal Volcano in the Philippines reportedly erupted three times. It is located in Batangas province, about 70 km south of Manila, Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) classifies it as a complex volcano. Taal is an active volcano within a large caldera, having 38 eruptions in the past 450 years. The caldera formed through prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BCE. It is a stratovolcano with a crater lake on a 5-km-wide volcanic island. It consists of multiple cones, hills, and craters instead of a single dome, making it geologically unique.

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A 5.8 magnitude earthquake recently struck Negros Island, Philippines. Negros Island is part of the Visayan Islands in central Philippines. It is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the country. The island is boot-shaped, measuring 217 km long and 35–79 km wide. It is separated from Panay Island by the Guimaras Strait and from Cebu Island by the Tanon Strait. The Visayan Sea borders it to the north and the Sulu Sea to the south. A central mountain range runs through the island, containing Mount Canlaon (2,465 m) — an active volcano and the highest peak on Negros.

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Recently, Google announced plans to set up a large Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centre on Christmas Island, located in the Indian Ocean. The project follows a cloud partnership signed earlier this year with the Australian Department of Defence. Christmas Island lies about 360 km south of Java and 1,400 km northwest of mainland Australia. It is an external territory of Australia. The island forms the summit of an oceanic mountain, with Murray Hill (361 metres) as its highest point. Its main settlement and port is Flying Fish Cove, situated on the northeastern coast.

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Udupi Police recently filed a case against eight people for entering the restricted Dariya Bahadur Island, highlighting its protected status. The island, also called Bhadragada Island or Lighthouse Island, lies near Malpe Beach in Udupi district, Karnataka. It is a small rocky island with a breadth of about 1.6 sq km and an area of less than 250 yards. It is known for its scenic buildings and the historic Daira Bahadurgarh Fort built by Basavappa Naik of Bidanur.

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The Rajasthan High Court recently sought a detailed conservation plan from the state government due to rising ecological threats to Gadisar Lake in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Gadisar Lake is a 14th-century artificial reservoir originally built by Raja Rawal Jaisal and later renovated by Maharawal Gadsi Singh, giving it its present name. It historically served as Jaisalmer’s main water source through an efficient rainwater harvesting system in the desert. Encroachment, urban pressure, siltation and pollution have reduced its catchment area and damaged ecological balance. The lake supports local biodiversity and migratory birds, making it a vital urban-wetland ecosystem.

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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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Scottish historian William Dalrymple urged the Maharashtra government to promote lesser-known heritage sites at Ellora Caves. Ellora is located near a village in Maharashtra. Ellora is among India’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The caves show 700 years of Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sufi, and Naga traditions.

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ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute launched a stock enhancement programme for short-neck clam (Paphia malabarica) in Ashtamudi Lake showing early signs of recovery. Short-neck clam is a valuable bivalve mollusk and India’s first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified species. It is the major fishery resource of brackish water Ashtamudi Lake.

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Guinea-Bissau recently came under military rule. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa with Bissau as its capital city. The country borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the east and south, with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The terrain is mostly low-lying coastal plains with estuaries, rising to savanna in the east, and the Fouta Djallon Plateau dominates the southeast.