Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Perito Moreno Glacier, also called the ‘White Giant’, is located near El Calafate in Santa Cruz, Argentina. It lies in the Andes Mountains of South America and is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The glacier was formed about 18,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. It is now rapidly crumbling due to global warming and rising temperatures.

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Recently, the Birch Glacier in Switzerland collapsed, causing a huge landslide that partly buried Blatten village. The landslide also affected the flow of the Lonza River, increasing local risk. Birch Glacier is located in the Lötschental valley in northern Switzerland. Experts say that climate change played a key role in this disaster. Switzerland, which has the most glaciers in Europe, has lost nearly 40% of its glacial volume since 2000. This incident highlights the urgent impact of global warming on mountain ecosystems.

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India’s External Affairs Minister recently greeted Samoa on its Independence Day, celebrated every year on 1st June. Samoa is a Polynesian island nation located in the central South Pacific Ocean. It lies about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and consists of nine islands, with four inhabited. Its capital and main commercial centre is Apia, located on Upolu. Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 as the first Pacific island nation to do so.

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A Chinese ship recently ran aground due to severe weather near Thitu Island, raising alert levels among Filipino soldiers in the disputed South China Sea. Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa Island in the Philippines, lies within the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Spratly Islands are claimed entirely by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and partially by Malaysia and the Philippines. Thitu is the second largest natural island in the Spratlys and the biggest of the nine occupied by the Philippines.

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Lake Natron in Tanzania is gaining global attention due to environmental threats from climate change and development projects. It is a shallow, hyper-alkaline salt lake located in the Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region, near the Kenya-Tanzania border. It is fed by the Ewaso Ng’iro River and mineral-rich hot springs. Lake Natron is listed as a Ramsar wetland site.

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Recently, Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki in Indonesia erupted, sending an ash cloud up to 11 kilometers high. It is located in East Nusa Tenggara province on Flores Island, Indonesia. The volcano lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a zone of high volcanic activity.

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Sheikh Hasan Khan, a mountaineer from Kerala, is currently stranded at 17,000 feet on Mount Denali due to a severe snowstorm. He is attempting the Seven Summits Challenge, which involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. His mission also honors Operation Sindoor, a tribute to the Indian Army’s bravery and sacrifice. Mount Denali, also called Mount McKinley, is the highest peak in North America. The name “Denali” comes from the word “deenaalee” in the Koyukon language spoken in Alaska. It lies in the Alaska Range above the Denali Fault in south-central Alaska, United States.

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Recently, a tragic incident occurred at Lake Tahoe where a boat capsized, causing the death of six people and leaving two missing. Lake Tahoe is a cobalt blue freshwater lake located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border of California and Nevada, United States. Lake Tahoe contains extremely pure water, with 99.994% purity.

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Recently, a satellite image showed Alaska’s Iliamna Volcano “ready to rumble,” following a rise in earthquakes on its slopes, drawing scientific attention. Iliamna Volcano is located in southwest Alaska, United States, within the Chigmit Mountains of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. It is a stratovolcano, known for its steep shape and occasional explosive eruptions. The volcano is made up of andesite lava flows and pyroclastic rocks over Jurassic-era granite.

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Recently, Teghbir Singh, a six-year-old from Punjab, set a new world record by becoming the youngest mountaineer to scale Mount Elbrus. Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe, with a height of 18,510 feet or 5,642 metres. It is also ranked as the tenth-most prominent peak in the world. The previous record was held by Wagah Kushagra from Maharashtra, who climbed it at 7 years and 3 months.