Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Tonga, triggering a tsunami warning. Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an archipelago of 169 islands, with 36 inhabited. It lies south of Samoa, east of Fiji, and north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the South Pacific Ocean. The western islands are volcanic, with four active volcanoes, while the eastern islands are coral and low-lying. Tongatapu, Ha’apai, and Vava’u are the largest islands, with Nuku‘alofa as the capital. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Tonga frequently experiences volcanic activity.

Notes:
The United States President imposed a 10% tariff on imports from Heard and McDonald Islands, even though these islands have no known exports to the US. Heard and McDonald Islands are remote volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about 4,100 km from Perth, Australia, and 1,600 km from Antarctica. They are one of Australia’s seven external territories and are directly governed by the Australian government. Heard Island has Big Ben volcano with Mawson Peak, the highest mountain in Australia outside mainland and Tasmania. McDonald Island is smaller but has doubled in size due to volcanic eruptions in the 1990s and 2000s. These are the only volcanically active sub-Antarctic islands and are used to study earth’s crust, climate change, and glaciers. They are part of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site since 1997

Notes:
Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province recently erupted, leading to flight warnings and safety advisories. It is located on Flores Island, Indonesia. It lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The volcano has two peaks, separated by 2 kilometres and a 1232-metre-high saddle, giving it the name Lewotobi, meaning “husband and wife”. The two peaks are called Lewotobi Lakilaki (man) and Lewotobi Perempuan (woman), both stratovolcanoes.

Notes:
The Cradle of Humankind in South Africa has reopened to the public after being closed for three years due to flooding. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site known for its underground limestone caves. It is located near Johannesburg, South Africa. It includes several significant sites such as Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Taung Skull Fossil Site. The site provides critical scientific insight into human evolution, dating back over 3.5 million years.

Notes:
Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), faced severe flooding in April 2025 due to poor urban planning and twin sources of floodwater. The disaster was caused by both local rainfall and runoff from the Congo Central Province, which overwhelmed rivers like the Ndjili and Lukaya. This led to 70 deaths, 150 injuries, and displacement of over 21,000 people. It also damaged 73 healthcare facilities and disrupted water and transport systems. Kinshasa is one of 38 flood hotspots in the Congo Basin due to rapid urbanisation and twin flood sources. The crisis was worsened by ongoing instability in eastern DRC caused by the M23 armed group, leading to more displacement. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa after Algeria and the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Notes:
A massive explosion recently hit Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, causing a huge fire and leading to many deaths and injuries. The blast is suspected to have been caused by sodium perchlorate, a chemical used in ballistic missile propulsion. Shahid Rajaee Port is Iran’s largest and most advanced commercial port. It is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which about 26% of the world’s oil is transported. The port manages 85% of Iran’s container cargo, 52% of its oil trade, and over half of its total maritime cargo. It lies along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, Russia, and Northern Europe.

Notes:
The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) recently scaled Mt. Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world. Mt. Makalu stands at 8,485 meters above sea level and is located in the Mahalangur range of the Nepal Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border. It lies 23 kilometers southeast of Mount Everest and is part of the Makalu Barun National Park. The mountain is famous for its pyramid-like shape with sharp ridges and includes two subsidiary peaks, Makalu I and Makalu II.

Notes:
Recently, the US President instructed his administration to rebuild and expand Alcatraz, the notorious prison that has been closed for over 60 years on an isolated island off California’s coast. Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock,” is a rocky landmass in San Francisco Bay, United States. In 1849, the island was sold to the U.S. government and became home to the first California lighthouse in 1854. By 1859, the first permanent army troops were stationed there, and in 1861, it became a military prison. In 1934, Alcatraz became a federal prison, housing some of the most dangerous criminals. The prison had the capacity to hold over 330 prisoners, but typically housed around 260 at a time. Known as the most inescapable prison in the United States, it operated as a maximum-security facility until 1963.

Notes:
Recently, the Chhattisgarh High Court has been closely monitoring development works at Madku Dweep due to its cultural and historical value. Madku Dweep is located on the Shivnath River, the longest tributary of the Mahanadi River, in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. The island covers about 24 hectares and is named Madku because its shape resembles a frog. It is also called Kedar Tirth and Harihar Kshetra Kedar Dweep. Archaeologists have found ancient stone tools, coins, and inscriptions dating back to the 3rd century BC.

Notes:
Japan’s Sakurajima volcano erupted recently, sending a huge ash plume 3,000 metres above its crater. Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan and is located on the southern tip of Kyushu Island, just 4 kilometers from Kagoshima City. It stands at an elevation of 1117 metres and has a circumference of about 50 kilometres. It is a stratovolcano, formed from layers of lava and ash at a convergent plate boundary. The volcano was once an island, but a massive eruption in 1914 connected it to the mainland. It lies on the south rim of the Aira Caldera and has two main peaks — the North Peak and the South Peak. Sakurajima erupts frequently with ash, pyroclastic flows, volcanic bombs, and poisonous gases.