Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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A 10-year artificial reef project at Vaan Island created socio-ecological benefits worth ₹61.67 crore, more than double its inflation-adjusted cost. The study was done by the Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration Mission and its partners. Vaan Island is located in the Gulf of Mannar. It is part of the Tuticorin group of islands in Tamil Nadu. The island faced severe coastal erosion and shrinking land area.

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More than 2,700 tourists were recently rescued after being stranded due to heavy snowfall near Tsomgo Lake in East Sikkim. Tsomgo Lake, also known as Tsongmo or Changu Lake, is a glacial lake located in Sikkim. It is formed by melting snow from the surrounding mountains. The lake receives its water mainly from seasonal snowmelt in the high-altitude region. After winter ends around mid-May, the lake’s surroundings bloom with rhododendrons, primulas, blue and yellow poppies, and irises. Rhododendron is the state tree of Sikkim. The area supports rich biodiversity, including Brahminy ducks and the rare red panda.

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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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Researchers found that Mai Ndombe and Tumba lakes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are releasing carbon stored for thousands of years in surrounding peatlands. Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems with waterlogged conditions that prevent full decomposition of plant material. Lake Mai Ndombe is Africa’s largest blackwater lake, part of the Congo River Basin, located in western Democratic Republic of Congo. Lake Tumba is located in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.

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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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Recently, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Kirakira in the Solomon Islands. It is located in the south-western Pacific Ocean. The Solomon Islands lie southeast of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. The country consists of two parallel chains of volcanic islands and small coral atolls. It includes about 1,000 islands, with 6 large main islands and more than 900 smaller ones, of which around 147 are inhabited. The capital city, Honiara, is located on Guadalcanal, the largest island.

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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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Raisen Fort is a historic hilltop fort where police recently arrested youths after a cannon-firing video surfaced on social media. The fort is located on a sandstone hill in Raisen town, Madhya Pradesh and is among the largest forts in Central India. Built in the 11th century, it witnessed rule of local Hindu chiefs, Mandu Sultans, Mughals under Akbar, and later Nawabs of Bhopal. Around 1760, Fiaz Mohammad Khan occupied it and was recognised by Alamgir II as Faujdar. The fort has massive stone walls with nine gateways and panoramic views.

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Roopkund Lake, popularly called Skeleton Lake, is a small glacial lake famous for hundreds of human skeletons found around it. It lies at 5,029 metres (16,500 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas near the base of Mount Trishul, Uttarakhand. The lake is only about 130 feet wide and remains frozen for most of the year, revealing skeletons when ice melts. Skeletons were first noticed in 1942 by a British forest ranger. Scientific studies using radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis found over 300 individuals.

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Illegal earth cutting is reported near Deepor Beel in Guwahati, despite restrictions by the Gauhati High Court and district administration. Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake on the outskirts of Guwahati in Assam. It lies in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River; “Beel” means lake in Assamese. The wetland covers about 4.1 sq km and is among the largest lakes in the Brahmaputra Valley of Lower Assam. Main inflow rivers are Kalmani River and Basistha River, while outflow occurs through Khandajan rivulet joining the Brahmaputra. It functions as the main stormwater storage basin for Guwahati city.