Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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India and Indonesia have partnered to restore the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, Southern Java. Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia, located in Sleman region. It is locally known as Roro Jonggrang, meaning “Temple of the Slender Virgin.” The temple was built in the 9th century by the Sanjaya dynasty. It is dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The complex remained buried for centuries and was rediscovered in the 19th century. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

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Iran fired two ballistic missiles targeting the joint U.S.–U.K. military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, escalating regional tensions. Diego Garcia is a strategically important military hub used by the United States and United Kingdom for operations across the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is a coral atoll in the central Indian Ocean and the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), formed in 1965 after separation from Mauritius. It serves as a key geostrategic and logistics hub for US military operations in the Indian Ocean region. In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution asking the UK to end its control and return the islands to Mauritius.

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Cross-border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand is set to resume from June, marking an important development in border trade. Lipulekh Pass is a high-altitude Himalayan mountain pass located in Uttarakhand. It connects India with the Tibet region of China, serving as a strategic and historic gateway to the Himalayan region. It was the first Indian border post opened for trade with China, later followed by Shipki La Pass (Himachal Pradesh) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

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Recently, Israeli airstrikes destroyed Qasmiyeh Bridge over Litani River in Lebanon’s southern coastal highway. Litani River is the longest and major river of Lebanon. It originates west of Baalbek and flows southwest through Bekaa Valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. It finally drains into the Mediterranean Sea.

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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.

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Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic narrow waterway amid rising West Asia tensions. It is called the “Gate of Tears” due to frequent historical shipwrecks. It lies at the southern end of the Red Sea, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and further to the Indian Ocean. It separates Arabia (Asia) from Africa and links to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.

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Sakurajima Volcano is located on the southern tip of Kyushu Island near Kagoshima city in Japan. It is one of Japan’s most active stratovolcanoes, with frequent eruptions of varying intensity. It is an andesitic volcano with high viscosity magma and high gas content, leading to explosive eruptions. It lies on a convergent plate boundary and forms part of the Aira Caldera system. The volcano consists of two main peaks: Kitadake (north) and Minamidake (south). Recent eruptions have sent large ash plumes, impacting nearby regions.

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The Veli–Akkulam Estuary is located along the coast of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. It is a small, shallow, bar-built estuary forming part of the Kerala backwater system adjoining the Lakshadweep Sea. The estuary is divided by a man-made bund into two parts: Veli (west) and Akkulam (northeast). Its connection to the sea is intermittent, opening mainly during the monsoon through sandbar breaching. It is currently facing degradation due to invasive species, pollution, urban runoff, and encroachment, impacting biodiversity.

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China is deploying ships and barriers to tighten control over the entrance of the Scarborough Shoal. The move has escalated tensions with the Philippines, which also claims the shoal. The Scarborough Shoal is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea claimed by China and the Philippines. It is known as Huangyan Island (China) and Panatag Shoal / Bajo de Masinloc (Philippines). It lies about 220 km west of Luzon (Philippines) and over 800 km southeast of Hong Kong. It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea, covering around 150 sq. km with a shallow lagoon.

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Underwater archaeologists discovered a hidden ancient city beneath Lake Issyk-Kul in Central Asia. The submerged settlement is estimated to be around 700 years old, indicating a previously unknown civilization. The discovery provides insights into historical trade routes, settlements, and cultural life in the region. Lake Issyk-Kul is located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan and is surrounded by the Tian Shan Mountains. It is an endorheic lake, meaning it has no outflow to seas or rivers. The lake contains blue, slightly saline (brackish) water. It is the second-largest high mountain lake in the world after Lake Titicaca.