Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province recently erupted, leading to flight warnings and safety advisories. It is located on Flores Island, Indonesia. It lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The volcano has two peaks, separated by 2 kilometres and a 1232-metre-high saddle, giving it the name Lewotobi, meaning “husband and wife”. The two peaks are called Lewotobi Lakilaki (man) and Lewotobi Perempuan (woman), both stratovolcanoes.

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United States (US) air strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 80 people. Ras Isa Port is located on the Ras al-Mashawn Peninsula in Yemen. It lies along the Gulf of Aden, about 35 kilometers west of the city of Al Mahrah. The Marib–Ras Isa oil pipeline is a vital part of Yemen’s energy network. This pipeline connects the inland oil fields of Marib to the Ras Isa Marine Terminal on the Red Sea. The port plays a major role in Yemen’s oil exports and overall economic stability.

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The Syrian civil war that began in 2011 turned Palmyra’s strategic location into a war zone, leading to large-scale damage to its ancient monuments. Palmyra is an ancient city in central Syria, located in an oasis surrounded by palm trees and the Palmyrene mountain ranges. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic period and was first mentioned in historical records in the early second millennium Before Common Era (BCE). In the 1st century After Death (AD), it became part of the Roman Empire. Palmyra grew as a key trade and cultural center on the Silk Road, connecting Rome with Persia, India, and China.

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A “breathing” cap of magma has been discovered inside the Yellowstone supervolcano, which might help predict when the volcano will next erupt, according to a new study. The Yellowstone supervolcano lies beneath Yellowstone National Park, in the western United States. It is one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world. The supervolcano is a caldera, a large crater formed by a major eruption, and is an active supervolcanic system. The caldera measures 55 x 72 km (34 x 45 miles) in size.

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Historian M.G.S. Narayanan, who played a major role in the Muziris Heritage Project (MHP), was recently remembered in the Kerala State Assembly. The ancient Muziris Port was a famous trading hub on the Malabar Coast in present-day Kerala, active from around the 1st century BCE to the early medieval period. It was especially known for its spice trade, mainly black pepper, which was often called black gold. Other important exports included semi-precious stones, ivory, and pearls. Muziris connected South India with Persia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean world, including Greek and Roman traders.

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Scientists from China, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) recently studied the inner workings of Uturuncu, a “zombie” volcano in Bolivia, and found that there is no immediate risk of eruption. Uturuncu is a stratovolcano located in the Andes Mountains of southwestern Bolivia and is made up mainly of dacitic lava domes and flows. It sits on top of a massive underground magma reservoir called the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB), which extends under southern Bolivia, northern Chile, and northern Argentina. Uturuncu is called a “zombie” volcano because it shows signs of activity without actual eruptions.

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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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The Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project, led by the Alappuzha District Administration, is inspired by the Namami Gange Programme for river conservation. A five-year plan worth ₹188.25 crore has been submitted to the Chief Minister of Kerala and may be revised based on studies by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala, stretching about 96.5 kilometres. It spreads across Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts, covering around 2,033 square kilometres. The lake is known by names like Vembanad Kayal, Punnamada Lake, and Kochi Lake in different regions. It receives water from six rivers, including Meenachil, Achankovil, Pamba, and Manimala, and drains into the Arabian Sea.

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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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The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) recently scaled Mt. Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world. Mt. Makalu stands at 8,485 meters above sea level and is located in the Mahalangur range of the Nepal Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border. It lies 23 kilometers southeast of Mount Everest and is part of the Makalu Barun National Park. The mountain is famous for its pyramid-like shape with sharp ridges and includes two subsidiary peaks, Makalu I and Makalu II.