Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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On August 15, 2026, the Gujarat Forest Department released 20 blackbucks into the Banni Grasslands of Kutch as part of a wildlife rewilding initiative. Banni grassland is located in Gujarat’s Kutch district and is home to 22 ethnic groups, mainly pastoralists. It has rich biodiversity with 37 grass species, 275 bird species, and domesticated animals like buffalo, sheep, and camel. The Banni Grasslands include the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve.

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The Orinoco Oil Belt is located in Venezuela, in the southern basin of the Orinoco River. It contains some of the world’s largest deposits of extra-heavy crude oil. The region has gained renewed attention following US licences allowing certain international entities, including ONGC Videsh Limited, to resume upstream petroleum operations. The development is significant for energy security and recovery of pending dividends.

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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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SpaceX recovered its Starship spacecraft nearly 24 days after its controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft was towed near Christmas Island for inspection and assessment. Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia located in the eastern Indian Ocean. It is situated about 350 km south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 km northwest of mainland Australia.

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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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In August 2026, the United States and Venezuela reportedly announced an oil pact covering around 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. The Orinoco Belt is located in Venezuela, along the southern part of the eastern Orinoco River Basin. It contains one of the world’s largest deposits of extra-heavy crude oil. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, exceeding 300 billion barrels. The crude oil of the Orinoco Belt is generally heavy and sour, requiring specialised refining facilities for processing.

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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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The Ladakh administration has launched a project to revive the shrinking Tso Kar Lake. Tso Kar is a high-altitude salt lake/wetland complex in Ladakh. It is located in the Rupshu Plateau region of southeastern Ladakh. The name Tso Kar means “White Lake” in the local Tibetan language. It is an important habitat for migratory birds, particularly the Black-necked Crane. The lake forms part of the important high-altitude wetland ecosystem of Ladakh. Tso Kar Wetland Conservation Reserve is recognised as a Ramsar Site.

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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.