Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Lake Suchitlán in El Salvador is facing a crisis due to the rapid spread of invasive water lettuce. Lake Suchitlán is located in El Salvador. Water lettuce is a perennial, free-floating aquatic weed found in tropical regions across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is also called water cabbage, Nile cabbage, or shellflower. The plant has lettuce-like leaves with long, feathery white to tan roots hanging below.

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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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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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Curacao has created history by qualifying for the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament with a population of about 1.56 lakh. Curacao is an island country in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 60 km north of Venezuela, and is a territorial country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It consists of the islands of Curacao and Klein Curacao, spread over 171 square miles with its capital at Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Curacao follows a constitutional monarchy with the Dutch monarch as head of state and a prime minister as head of government.

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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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Fresh lava fountains erupted from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, almost a year after its ongoing eruptive phase began. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located in the southeastern part of Hawaii Island, United States. It is a shield-type volcano, formed due to the Hawaiian hot spot. The summit caldera contains the lava lake Halema‘uma‘u, considered the home of the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Pele.

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Iran’s Hormuz Island recently gained global attention as its coastlines turned blood-red overnight, creating a surreal natural spectacle. Hormuz Island is a hilly island located in the Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, about 8 km off the coast of Iran. The island covers an area of 41.9 sq. km and is famous for its unique scenery and colorful soil, earning it the nickname “Rainbow Island”. Its terrain is composed of sedimentary rock and volcanic ash, and due to low precipitation, both the soil and water are salty.

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The US Geological Survey (USGS) shared footage of mud erupting from the Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park, indicating renewed hydrothermal activity. Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park, located in the northwestern United States. The park spans about 8,992 sq km (3,472 sq miles) and is globally renowned for geothermal activity, volcanic landscapes, wildlife, and intact ecosystems. Yellowstone lies above a volcanic hotspot, with magma chambers driving geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. The park experiences hundreds of minor earthquakes annually, reflecting active tectonic processes.

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Bezymianny Volcano, a cone‑shaped stratovolcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, is now rising faster than scientists expected after a massive past explosion. It lies on the southeast slope of the extinct Kamen Volcano, separated by a high narrow saddle. The east and west slopes have wide, sloping valleys; upper slopes feature several lava flows, and lower slopes have domes along the southern and western sides. Since 1955, Bezymianny has had eruptions with dome growth, explosions, pyroclastic flows, ash plumes, and ashfall. The 1956 eruption was one of the most significant explosive events of the 20th century.