Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Researchers have found the fossil bone fragments of sauropods – a long neck dinosaur at West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya. The fossil is assumed to be about 100-million-years old.
This finding makes Meghalaya the 5th state in India after Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu to report Sauropod bones.

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The East India Company exploited the Raniganj coalfield along the western bank of Damodar River, West Bengal, thereby starting the Coal mining in India in 1774.
Every year, Coal Miners Day is observed on May 4 in solidarity with the miners working in coal fields. An international Co-operation with the advanced coal-producing countries is also being considered.

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Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, located between France and the UK, 22 kilometres from the coast of Normandy, France.
They include two Crown dependencies: The Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. They recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state and the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands. Recently, 60 French fishing boats made a blockade in the Jersey islands, which followed a deployment of two Royal Navy vessels from the UK.

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The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, with 220 miles long. It has been the historical breeding grounds of the fish species – Twaite shad.
Being a member of the herring family, it is one of the UK’s rarest fish. Earlier, thousands of the fish migrated towards the river. After the decline in the count, a conservation project is trying to create new routes in the river, around several weirs. This migration would help other species in the ecosystem.

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Archaeologists have recently discovered six sacrificial pits in Sanxingdui. The pits are said to contain about 500 artifacts, including gold and bronze masks.
Sanxingdui is an ancient Chinese city, located about 1,500 kilometers southwest of Beijing. The artifacts date back around 3,000 years, to a time when this part of China was ruled by the ancient kingdom of Shu.

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The US administration headed by President Joe Biden has proposed to suspend the oil and gas leases at Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This decision has been welcomed by environmentalists and Arctic tribals.
This move is reversal of the lease brought about by earlier US administration by President Trump.

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Scientists from NASA and some universities are undertaking a $15 million, five-year study on adjacent areas of Louisiana. They are using high-tech airborne systems along with boats.
The team aims to create computer models that can be used with satellite data. This will let countries around the world know which parts of their deltas can be shored up.

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Taal Volcano is part of a chain of volcanoes located along the western edge of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.
Recently, the Authorities in the Philippines have warned that the Taal volcano, could erupt anytime soon after recording the highest levels of sulphur dioxide gas emission. The average of 22,628 tonnes a day was the highest ever recorded in Taal volcano.

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Aitoliko lagoon is located in in the northern Patras Gulf in western Greece. It is a polluted lagoon with depths of up to 30 metres, linked by narrow channels to the sea.
Recently, a group of divers have reported a rare sighting of hundreds of endangered seahorses in the lagoon. Seahorses are protected species threatened by overfishing and pollution, as they need an environment full of organisms to feed on and plants to hide.

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Paradoxurus hermaphrodites, the common palm civet has been spotted in Odisha after 129 years, in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR).
It is also called as the Asian palm civet, found in southern and south-eastern Asia. It is a small mammal belonging to the family Viverridae. Their long body is covered with coarse hair, which is usually grey in colour.