Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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In July 2025, villagers of Pathorichuk in Majuli, Assam, showcased a successful eco-friendly method to stop erosion by planting Kanchan trees along the Brahmaputra River. Majuli island faces severe erosion yearly from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, Subansiri and Kherkatia. The tree roots hold soil tightly and stop erosion naturally, proving more effective than Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures and geo-bags. Majuli is the world’s largest river island located in Assam.

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Recently, the Noon River in Rampur Narua village, Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, was revived under the “One District, One River” campaign launched during the Saryu Mahotsav on June 5 by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The 48.5 km-long Noon River flows through 34 gram panchayats and originates from Kanhaiya Lake, ending at the Ganga near Bithoor. It had dried up mainly due to jal kumbhi (water hyacinth) infestation, waste dumping, and boulders from nearby construction sites. The revival work began on February 22, 2024, and was completed using old satellite images, drone mapping, and technical support from institutes like IIT Kanpur, BHU, BBAU, and the Remote Sensing Application Centre.

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Russia recently signed a key nuclear agreement with Niger, strengthening its influence in the Sahel region of West Africa. The Sahel region is located in Africa, forming a 5,000-kilometre-long semi-arid belt. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. It lies between the Sahara Desert in the north and the humid savannas in the south. It passes through African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea.

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Recently, the Great Barrier Reef recorded its steepest decline in hard coral cover in nearly 40 years due to climate change-induced heat stress, cyclones, and coral-eating starfish outbreaks. It is located in the Coral Sea, off northeastern Australia. It is the world’s longest and largest reef complex and the largest living structure on Earth. It stretches over 2,000 km, covering around 350,000 sq. km, and forms about 10% of global coral reef ecosystems. It consists of about 2,100 individual reefs and 800 fringing reefs, with 400 coral types, 1,500 fish species, and 4,000 mollusk species.

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Recently, the Sea of Galilee in Israel turned red due to the bloom of Botryococcus braunii algae. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake located in northeastern Israel. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, mainly fed by the Jordan River and some underground springs. Known by names like Sea of Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, and Lake of Tiberias, it is bordered by plains in the north and hills of Lower Galilee in the west and southwest. Botryococcus braunii is a single-celled green algae found in freshwater or brackish lakes, known for producing hydrocarbons and forming protective biofilm structures.

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An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 recently struck Sulawesi in Indonesia. Sulawesi, earlier called Celebes, is a large island in Southeast Asia and part of the Indonesian archipelago. It belongs to the Greater Sunda Islands and is the 11th largest island in the world with an area of 180,680.7 square kilometers. The island has four interconnecting peninsulas and is surrounded by Borneo, Philippines, Maluku Islands, Flores, and Timor. It is mountainous with active volcanoes and rich rainforests, though much deforested.

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India will provide training and equipment to enhance Fiji’s maritime security, Prime Minister said recently. Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand and southwest of Hawaii. It is an archipelago of around 300 islands and 540 islets, covering about 1,000,000 square miles (3,000,000 sq.km). Fiji does not share land borders with any country. Approximately 100 of the 300 islands are inhabited. The capital of Fiji is Suva, situated on the southeast coast of Viti Levu, the largest island.

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The Pong Dam, also called the Beas Dam, recently saw water levels breaching the danger mark in Himachal Pradesh. It is an earth-fill embankment dam built on the Beas River in the Shivalik hills of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The dam was constructed between 1961 and 1974 and was the tallest of its type in India at that time. It serves purposes of irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The dam created an artificial lake named Maharana Pratap Sagar.

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Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, calling it a “great achievement.” GERD is a megadam built for power generation and regional energy trade. It is constructed on the Blue Nile River, about 30 km upstream from Sudan in Guba, Ethiopia. The Blue Nile provides approximately 85% of Nile waters, making the dam geopolitically sensitive. Initiated in 2011, GERD symbolizes Ethiopia’s self-reliance, development, and regional influence.

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Minor volcanic eruptions occurred twice on September 13 and 20, 2025, at Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Barren Island is India’s only active volcano and located in the Andaman Sea. It lies above the subduction zone of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates. Past eruptions were recorded in 1787, 1991, 2005, 2017, and 2022.