Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Two young Indian Navy officers aboard INSV Tarini recently crossed Point Nemo in the southern Pacific during Navika Sagar Parikrama-II. Point Nemo is the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility, the farthest point from any landmass on Earth. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is named after Captain Nemo from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It lies about 2,688 km from the nearest land. The closest human presence is often astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The region has minimal marine life and is used for space junk disposal due to its remoteness.

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The US President signed an executive order to prepare a large-scale migrant detention center at Guantánamo Bay. Guantánamo Bay, located in southeastern Cuba, is a sheltered inlet with strategic importance, near the Windward Passage. It is served by the ports of Caimanera and Boquerón. “Gitmo” has housed terrorism suspects since 9/11 and has a Migrant Operations Centre for migrants from Haiti and Cuba. The current facility is small and cannot accommodate the 30,000 detainees expected in the new center.

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The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting toward South Georgia Island after breaking from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf. South Georgia Island is a mountainous, barren island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, covering 3,756 sq.km. The island has over 160 glaciers and peaks like Mount Paget (2,935 m).

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New Zealand’s Foreign Minister expressed “significant concern” over the Cook Islands signing a cooperation deal with China. The Cook Islands is located in the South Pacific Ocean, between Tonga and French Polynesia. It is a self-governing nation with a “free association” pact with New Zealand. The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands, divided into northern (coral atolls) and southern (volcanic, densely populated) groups.

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Nauru, a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean, plans to sell citizenships to fund the relocation of 10,000 residents threatened by rising sea levels. It is the world’s smallest republic, covering 8 square miles, with a population of 12,500. It is located 1,300 km northeast of the Solomon Islands, its closest neighbor is Banaba in Kiribati. A fossilized coral atoll, it is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific.

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A volcano recently erupted at Mount Dukono in Indonesia. Mount Dukono, standing 1,087 meters above sea level, is one of Indonesia’s 127 active volcanoes. It is located on Halmahera Island.

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Vietnam’s foreign ministry recently published a map defining its claim in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Gulf of Tonkin is also called “Beibu Gulf” in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese. It is a shallow, semi-enclosed water body in the northwestern South China Sea. It is bordered by Vietnam’s northern coast, China’s Guangxi region, the Leizhou Peninsula, and Hainan Island. It connects to the South China Sea via its southern mouth and the Hainan Strait in the northeast. Major ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy in Vietnam and Beihai in China.

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The Simandou mine in Guinea will significantly impact the global iron ore market, supplying 10% of China’s annual demand and competing with Australia and Brazil. It is located in the Simandou mountain range, Guinea. It is controlled by a 75% Chinese consortium. The mine boasts high-quality ore with 65% Fe content, one of the best globally. It has 2.4 billion tonnes of reserves, with a potential yield of 2.25 billion tonnes. The mining deposits, Pic de Fon and Ouéléba, cover 7.5 km in length and 1 km in width.

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New Zealand’s High Court overturned the conviction of White Island’s owners after the 2019 volcanic eruption that killed 22 people. White Island (Whakaari) is an active composite stratovolcano in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, located 48 km off Whakatāne. It is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, formed over 150,000 years. The 2019 eruption was its last major event, causing fatalities and injuries. The island, privately owned, was declared a private scenic reserve in 1953, attracting tourism and scientific research. It features hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles and was named by Captain James Cook in 1769.

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Fugitive ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi has applied to surrender his Indian passport and has acquired Vanuatu citizenship. Vanuatu is a small island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 83 islands, with only 65 inhabited, forming an irregular Y shape. It lies east of Australia and north of New Zealand, between Australia and Fiji. The landscape includes mountains, plateaus, hills, terraces, and coral reefs. It has several active volcanoes, including Mount Yasur. The capital and largest city is Port Vila on Efate Island. The country’s currency is the vatu.