Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Mackinac Island is a small island city in northern Michigan, United States. It is located where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan, two of the Great Lakes of North America. The island covers about 4.35 square miles and is known for its natural beauty and peaceful environment. It is surrounded by limestone cliffs and rises up to 339 feet in the eastern part. A unique feature is that motor vehicles are banned, making horses the main mode of transport. Recently, the island gained attention again as a rare car-free haven in America’s car manufacturing state.

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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.

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Scientists from the University of Oxford have suggested a new way to monitor volcanic eruptions using a method called shear-wave splitting. Shear-wave splitting happens when seismic waves travel at different speeds depending on their direction, especially through rocks with tiny cracks. This technique was studied at Mount Ontake in Japan, which is an active stratovolcano located on Honshū Island, near Tokyo. Mount Ontake is Japan’s second-highest volcano and lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

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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.

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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.

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India recently welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to return the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the Diego Garcia atoll, to Mauritius under a historic agreement. The Chagos Islands are located in the central Indian Ocean, about 1,600 km south of India’s southern tip. These islands have been a British Overseas Territory since November 8, 1965. Key islands in the group include Diego Garcia, Danger Island, Egmont Islands, Eagle Islands, Nelsons Island, Peros Banhos, Three Brothers, and the Solomon Islands. Diego Garcia, the largest island covering 30 square kilometers, hosts a major United States military base. The islands are flat and low-lying, with most areas not rising more than 2 meters above sea level and having no rivers or lakes. They experience a tropical marine climate with high heat and humidity, moderated by trade winds.

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India’s External Affairs Minister recently greeted Samoa on its Independence Day, celebrated every year on 1st June. Samoa is a Polynesian island nation located in the central South Pacific Ocean. It lies about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and consists of nine islands, with four inhabited. Its capital and main commercial centre is Apia, located on Upolu. Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 as the first Pacific island nation to do so.

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Recently, Mount Etna volcano on Sicily island in Italy erupted, drawing global attention. It is the highest mountain on a Mediterranean island and the most active stratovolcano in the world. It is also recognised as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

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Sheikh Hasan Khan, a mountaineer from Kerala, is currently stranded at 17,000 feet on Mount Denali due to a severe snowstorm. He is attempting the Seven Summits Challenge, which involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. His mission also honors Operation Sindoor, a tribute to the Indian Army’s bravery and sacrifice. Mount Denali, also called Mount McKinley, is the highest peak in North America. The name “Denali” comes from the word “deenaalee” in the Koyukon language spoken in Alaska. It lies in the Alaska Range above the Denali Fault in south-central Alaska, United States.

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Prime Minister of India recently visited Croatia, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so during his 3-nation tour after the G7 Summit in Canada. Croatia is located in Central and Southeast Europe along the eastern Adriatic Sea, giving it strategic maritime importance. Its capital is Zagreb, and it shares borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Italy.