Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake recently struck off the east coast of Japan’s largest island, Honshu. Honshu, historically called Akitsushima, is the largest of Japan’s four main islands. It lies between the Pacific Ocean in the east and the Sea of Japan in the west. The island stretches about 1,287 km in a northeast–southwest arc and has varying widths. Honshu covers an area of 227,898 sq.km, making it the world’s seventh-largest island. It has a population of around 104 million, over 80% of Japan’s total population. It is the second-most populous island in the world after Java, Indonesia.

Notes:
A massive avalanche occurred at Zojila Pass, a key high-altitude pass. It is called the “Mountain Pass of Blizzards” and lies on Srinagar–Kargil–Leh highway (NH-1) in the Greater Himalayas. An avalanche is a sudden movement of a large mass of snow down a slope. It is dangerous as it can bury or sweep away everything in its path. Avalanches are more likely on steep slopes without trees or rocks. These natural barriers usually help in holding snow in place.

Notes:
A Comptroller and Auditor General of India report highlighted that 518 lakes (74%) in Jammu and Kashmir have disappeared or shrunk, causing ecosystem degradation and climate risks. Hokersar Lake is a high-altitude wetland in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, at 1,583 m elevation. Known as the “Queen Wetland of Kashmir,” it is a Ramsar Site (designated 2005). It is connected to the Jhelum River through channels sustaining its ecosystem.

Notes:
Pompeii is a preserved Roman city near Naples, Italy, at the base of Mount Vesuvius. It was founded around the 6th century BCE by the Samnites and later became part of the Roman Empire. The city was destroyed and buried in 79 CE due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The eruption preserved the city under ash, providing a unique snapshot of Roman life. Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748, revealing buildings, artifacts, and human remains. It offers one of the most complete archaeological records of an ancient city. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, AI has helped reconstruct the face and final moments of a victim of the eruption.

Notes:
Scientists have reported that light pollution is threatening the dark skies of the Atacama Desert, one of the best locations for astronomy. The desert is known for its extremely clear atmosphere and minimal artificial light, making it ideal for observatories. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world, located in northern Chile. It lies between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The region receives extremely low rainfall, with some areas recording no rain. It is known for its clear, dark skies, making it ideal for astronomical observations. Recent concerns highlight that light pollution is threatening its pristine night skies.

Notes:
Lake Chad recently came into news after a Boko Haram attack on a military post in Chad’s Lake Chad region killed several soldiers. Lake Chad is a freshwater lake located in the semi-arid Sahel region of west-central Africa and is shared by Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. The lake was once the world’s sixth-largest lake, but its size has drastically reduced since the 1960s due to prolonged drought and excessive water use. Lake Chad is an endorheic lake, meaning it has no outlet to the sea. The Chari River is the main source of water for the lake and contributes nearly 90 percent of its inflow.

Notes:
Tristan da Cunha was recently in news after British military medics conducted a parachute mission there to assist a suspected hantavirus patient from the cruise ship MV Hondius. Tristan da Cunha is a volcanic archipelago and the largest island in the South Atlantic Ocean, located midway between southern Africa and South America. It is regarded as the world’s most remote inhabited island chain. The islands were discovered in 1506 by Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha, after whom the archipelago is named.

Notes:
Agalega Islands have gained strategic importance amid increasing competition in the Indian Ocean region. Agalega Islands are a two-island dependency of Mauritius located in the western Indian Ocean. The islands consist of North Island and South Island, connected by a natural sandbank during low tide. Their economy mainly depends on coconut oil exports. The islands are emerging as an important logistics and maritime surveillance base, enhancing India’s reach across the southern and western Indian Ocean.

Notes:
Lake Kariba has recently witnessed rising water levels due to fresh inflows from the upper Zambezi River after years of drought, erratic rainfall, and heatwaves. Lake Kariba is located along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in central Africa. It is the world’s largest artificial lake and reservoir by volume and the fourth largest by surface area.
The lake was formed between 1958 and 1963 after the construction of the Kariba Dam.

Notes:
A fire and two powerful explosions at a shipyard on Staten Island caused one civilian death and injured around 36 people. Staten Island is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. Historically, the island was inhabited by the Native American Lenape community before Dutch and English settlement. Staten Island is popularly known as the “Borough of Parks” because of its extensive parks, forests, and green spaces.