Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Research shows that toxins called microcystin from cyanobacteria can make animals and people sick when exposed to Lake Erie’s infected water. Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes, forming a boundary between Canada and the U.S. Its main tributaries include the Detroit, Huron, and Raisin rivers, and it discharges through the Niagara River. Microcystin, produced by the cyanobacterium Microcystis, forms harmful blooms and releases toxins that impact freshwater ecosystems.

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Annapurna Base Camp saw a record number of tourists after this year’s Dashain festival. Mount Annapurna is located in Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal, in the Annapurna Range. It is the world’s tenth-highest peak, with an elevation of 8,091 meters. The mountain lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area, covering 7,629 square kilometers. Known as the “Killer Mountain” due to its high fatality rate among climbers attempting the summit.

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Neft Daslari, also known as “Oil Rocks,” is the world’s oldest offshore oil platform situated about 100 kilometers from Baku, Azerbaijan. Established in the late 1940s, it evolved from a single drilling rig to a vast network of oil wells and bridges, once housing over 5,000 workers. Recently, environmental concerns over pollution and declining production highlight its significance in Azerbaijan’s oil industry as discussions around climate initiatives intensify globally. There are proposals to transform it into a tourist site or museum.

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Willingdon Island, a man-made island in Kochi, Kerala, is undergoing discussions for rejuvenation to revive its commercial operations. It is a man-made island named after Lord Willingdon, a British Viceroy, and is among the largest of its type in India. The island houses the Kochi Naval Base, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, and the Port of Kochi, and is linked to the mainland by the Venduruthy Bridge. Lord Willingdon (1931-1936) was known for major events like the Government of India Act, 1935, the Poona Pact, and the Round Table Conferences involving Gandhi and Ambedkar.

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The Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland experienced its seventh volcanic eruption since December 2023. It is located in southwest Iceland. It is part of the submarine Reykjanes Ridge on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The region hosts volcanic systems such as Reykjanes, Svartsengi, Fagradalsfjall, Krýsuvík, Brennisteinsfjöll, and Hengill. It features en-echelon fissure systems and attracts tourists for volcano tours, hiking trails, and the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The peninsula has a population of around 27,829 (2020), with Reykjanesbær as its largest settlement.

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The Phlegraean Fields, near Naples, Italy, are a massive supervolcano starting to show signs of activity, raising concerns among scientists. Unlike Mount Vesuvius, it’s a volcanic system with multiple centers within a caldera, a large depression formed by a past eruption 39,000 years ago. The caldera spans 12-15 km and extends under the Tyrrhenian Sea. Phlegraean Fields is Europe’s largest active caldera and more active than Vesuvius. It has been restless since 1950 due to bradyseism and last erupted in 1538, forming Monte Nuovo. It is among the top carbon dioxide emitters worldwide.

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Israel’s military recently targeted several key Syrian military sites, including naval vessels at Latakia Port. Latakia Port is located on the East Mediterranean coast, with a good harbor and a vast agricultural hinterland to the west of Syria. It serves as Syria’s principal port, exporting products like bitumen, asphalt, cereals, cotton, fruit, eggs, vegetable oil, pottery, and tobacco. The port city’s local industries include cotton ginning, vegetable oil processing, tanning, and sponge fishing.

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Israel plans to double its population in the occupied Golan Heights, a hilly region overlooking the upper Jordan River valley. The Golan Heights, originally Syrian territory, was occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981, though this is not internationally recognized. It spans 71 km north to south, 43 km wide, and covers 1,150 sq. km. The region has 30+ Israeli settlements with 20,000 settlers, considered illegal under international law, alongside 20,000 Druze Arabs who remained after the occupation. The Golan Heights is strategically important for water resources, overlooks Damascus, and borders Jordan and Lebanon.

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India sent 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Lesotho to address food security and nutrition challenges. Lesotho is a landlocked country entirely within South Africa, with its capital and largest city being Maseru. Known as “The Mountain Kingdom,” it is located in the Maloti Mountains and includes Thabana Ntlenyana, Southern Africa’s highest peak. The Orange River, one of Africa’s longest rivers, originates in the Lesotho Highlands.

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Divers near Kalpeni Island in Lakshadweep discovered possible wreckage of a 17th or 18th-century European warship. Kalpeni Island is part of the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea, covering 2.79 square kilometers. It is 287 kilometers from Kochi, Kerala, and lies southeast of Kavaratti Island. Kalpeni forms a single atoll with islets Tilakkam, Pitti, and Cheriyam. The island is known for coral reefs, clear waters, white beaches, and a 2.8-kilometer-wide lagoon, it is ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. The island’s culture reflects its Maliku community heritage, with a climate similar to Kerala.