Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, a large phytoplankton bloom surrounded the Chatham Islands during the austral summer and was visible from satellites. The Chatham Islands are a group of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, about 800 kilometers east of New Zealand. They are New Zealand’s easternmost territory and consist of 10 mainly volcanic islands. Only Chatham Island and Pitt Island are inhabited. Chatham Island has cliffs in the south and lowlands, peatlands, and beaches in the north. Pitt Island is forested with rugged cliffs and sandy coasts.

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A Chinese reconnaissance drone recently flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea, which Taiwan described as “provocative and irresponsible.” The Pratas Islands, also called the Dongsha Islands, consist of three islands, with Dongsha Island being the only one above sea level; the other two are submerged. The islands have a circular atoll structure made mainly of clastic coral and reef flats.

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Authorities launched a major search after a helicopter went missing near the highly active Mount Aso volcano in Japan. Mount Aso is located in Kumamoto Prefecture (Ken), Kyushu, Japan. It rises to an elevation of about 1,592 metres. It is the largest active volcano in Japan. Mount Aso has the world’s largest active caldera, about 114 kilometres in circumference.

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Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula is facing record-breaking snowfall due to powerful winter storms. It is located between the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea to the east. Kamchatka is part of Kamchatka Krai in Russia. It is one of the world’s largest peninsulas and a major zone of geothermal activity. The region lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has over 150 volcanoes, including 29 active ones. The “Volcanoes of Kamchatka” is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

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Researchers found the world’s oldest known rock art, a painted human hand outline, inside a cave on Muna Island, Indonesia, dated to at least 67,800 years ago. Muna Island is located in Southeast Sulawesi province of Indonesia and covers about 1,704 square kilometres. The island has a hilly landscape rising up to about 445 metres, with teak forests in the north and northeast. Muna Island is known for rich culture, natural beauty, forests, and clean beaches

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The Shiveluch volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula erupted twice recently, sending ash plumes up to about 8 kilometres above sea level. It is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, Russia, which is among the most volcanically intense regions in the world. The volcano is approximately 60,000–70,000 years old, indicating a long and active geological history. Shiveluch is a stratovolcano, characterised by steep slopes formed from alternating layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and rock debris.

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Two paraglider pilots were rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) after falling into Tehri Lake during the Acro Festival and Simulation of Incidents in Flight (SIV) Championship Tehri 2026. Tehri Lake is an artificial reservoir located near Tehri Garhwal town in Uttarakhand. It was formed during the construction of the Tehri Dam by diverting the Bhagirathi River. The lake is situated at an altitude of about 1,700 metres above sea level. It has a depth of nearly 262 metres and a length of around 42 kilometres.

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Unusual changes inside the crater of El Chichón volcano in southern Mexico have raised concerns among volcanologists. El Chichón, also called Chichonal, is a stratovolcano located in the forested region of north-central Chiapas, Mexico. It is the youngest volcano in the 150-kilometre long Chiapanecan Volcanic Arc. The volcano consists of multiple lava domes and a tuff ring, which is a broad ring of volcanic ash and rock. It lies between the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Central America Volcanic Arc. El Chichón is among the most active volcanoes in Mexico and has erupted at least 12 times in the last 8,000 years.

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Lake Victoria’s water has turned green due to severe ecological damage, mainly from algal blooms. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It lies mainly in Tanzania and Uganda and also borders Kenya. It is known as Victoria Nyanza in Kenya, Nalubaale in Uganda, and Ukerewe in Tanzania. It is crossed by the Equator. It is the second-largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior in North America.

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Naval forces of Iran, Russia and China will conduct a joint military exercise near the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, mainly the United Arab Emirates and Musandam in Oman. The Gulf of Oman lies to the east and the Persian Gulf lies to the west. It is the only sea route connecting the oil-rich Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran is on the north coast and the United Arab Emirates is on the south coast.