Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Embassy of India in Seoul issues an advisory for Indian nationals travelling to Jeju Island under the visa waiver scheme. Jeju Island is a volcanic island located off the southern coast of South Korea. It is designated as a special autonomous province of South Korea. The island is oval in shape and is the largest as well as the southernmost island of the country. Its provincial capital is Jeju City. The island is formed from volcanic material that rises symmetrically to the summit of Mount Hallasan.

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A 67,800-year-old hand stencil found in a limestone cave on Sulawesi is now the oldest known rock art in the world. Sulawesi, earlier called Celebes, is a large island in Southeast Asia and part of the Greater Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Makassar is its largest city. It is surrounded by Borneo (west), the Philippines (north), Maluku Islands (east), and Flores and Timor (south). The island is mountainous with some active volcanoes; its highest peak is Ratenkombola (Mario).

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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an urgent advisory to all Indian carriers to avoid flying through the West Asian and Persian Gulf airspace due to rising military tensions. The Persian Gulf is a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean located in Western Asia. It is an extension of the Gulf of Oman and connects to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz in the east. The Persian Gulf is also known as the Arabian Gulf or Gulf of Iran.

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Kharg Island is a small coral island in Iran in the northern Persian Gulf, recently discussed in United States strategic debates. It is one of the few Persian Gulf islands with natural freshwater, stored in porous limestone formations. The island has hot, humid summers and its highest point is Mount Didehban. In the early 1960s, discovery of offshore oil fields led to major petroleum and petrochemical infrastructure development. Its strategic importance comes from its location near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route.

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Recently, about 25 visitors were injured after a swarm of bees attacked tourists at Sinhagad Fort, bringing the historic site into news. Sinhagad, earlier known as Kondhana, is an ancient hill fortress located near Pune, Maharashtra, in the Sahyadri range and is believed to be around 2,000 years old. The fort was captured in 1340 CE by Muhammad bin Tughlaq and later controlled by the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Shivaji captured the fort in 1647, but it was handed to the Mughals under the Treaty of Purandar. It was recaptured in 1670 by Tanaji Malusare during the Battle of Sinhagad, where he sacrificed his life. After this victory, the fort was renamed Sinhagad (Lion’s Fort).

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Iranian drone strikes on Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have raised concerns over disruption of global energy supply routes. Fujairah is the only UAE emirate located on the eastern coast along the Gulf of Oman and has no coastline on the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the rest of the UAE by the Hajar Mountains. The Port of Fujairah is the world’s fourth-largest bunkering (marine fuel supply) hub after Singapore, Rotterdam, and Zhoushan.

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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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Kolleru Lake has shown a measurable ecological decline over the last 50 years as highlighted by environmental activists. It is a shallow lake located in Andhra Pradesh between Krishna and Godavari river deltas near Eluru. It acts as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for Krishna River and Godavari River. It is known as “Fisherman’s Paradise” and “Bird Heaven” due to rich biodiversity. It receives water from Budameru, Ramileru, Tammileru, and Errakalva rivers