Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Sakurajima Volcano is located on the southern tip of Kyushu Island near Kagoshima city in Japan. It is one of Japan’s most active stratovolcanoes, with frequent eruptions of varying intensity. It is an andesitic volcano with high viscosity magma and high gas content, leading to explosive eruptions. It lies on a convergent plate boundary and forms part of the Aira Caldera system. The volcano consists of two main peaks: Kitadake (north) and Minamidake (south). Recent eruptions have sent large ash plumes, impacting nearby regions.

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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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China conducted military drills, including live-fire exercises, near Luzon Island, highlighting regional strategic tensions. Luzon is the largest and most important island of the Philippines, located in its northern part. It hosts over half of the country’s population, making it the political and economic centre. The capital city Manila is situated on Luzon. The island is bordered by the Philippine Sea (east), South China Sea (west), and Sibuyan Sea (south). The Luzon Strait lies to its north, separating it from Taiwan.

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A recent study suggests the Rongorongo script of Easter Island developed independently before European arrival. Easter Island is a dependency of Chile located in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the easternmost part of the Polynesian island region and is extremely isolated. The island was discovered in 1722 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday. It has a tropical rainforest climate and three extinct volcanoes: Terevaka, Poike, and Rano Kau. There are no permanent rivers, but three crater lakes exist.

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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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Ukraine intensified long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including the Primorsk and Tuapse regions. Meanwhile, LNG carrier Umm Al Ashtan resumed movement from Dahej to Das Island through the Strait of Hormuz, indicating improving regional stability. Das Island is an island located in the Persian Gulf and belongs to the United Arab Emirates. Das Island is a major strategic hub for oil and liquefied natural gas production and exports. It exports crude oil and liquefied natural gas to countries in Asia and Europe. The island is also ecologically important as a breeding and migratory site for turtles and seabirds.

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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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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.