Places in news(July 2020)

1. Zealandia
Why in news?

• GNS Science, a New Zealand research institute, has published two new maps covering Zealandia's
tectonic profile and shape.
• Only 7% of zealandia is above sea level, most most of that is what makes New Zealand

2. India's first Lichen park(Uttrakhand)

• Setup in Kumaon's munsiyari area, Uttarakhand

• developed with an aim to conserve protect and cultivate lichens and to create awareness among
locals regarding their importance
• Lichen is a composite organism emerges from algae or cyanobacteria
• They are in symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi
3. Floods in Assam

4. Chabahar port

Why in news?
• Iran approved the integration of the port with the free zone operating in the area
• It will boost cargo through this port.
• Chabar port is located in the sistan-Balochistan province on iran's Southern coast.
• Developed by India as part of tripartite agreement signed by India Afghanistan and Iran.
• Commenced operations since December 2018
• Helps India to bypass Pakistan to access Central Asia and Afghanistan.

5. Germany

Why in news?
• Germany to become first major economy to phase out coal and nuclear power
• Passed the Bill to shutting down the last coal fired power plant by 2038
• Plan is part of Germany's energy transition-an effort to reduce warming due to fossil fuels and to
generate all of the country's energy needs from renewable sources.
• Presently Germany burns the greatest amount of lignite coal worldwide
6. Nagarhole National park

Why in news?
• Forest department will place a traffic monitoring mechanism for roads adjacent to NNP
• It is to ensure better compliance of forest laws by motorists and minimise roadkills
• NNP is located in Kodagu and Mysore district of Karnataka
• Nagarhole river flows through the park and joins the kabini river which is also a boundary between
nagarhole and Bandipur
• Bandipur, madhumalai and Wayanad wildlife sanctuary are adjacent to NNP

7. Shivalik forest

Why in news?
• Uttar Pradesh proposal to turn Shivalik forest into tiger reserve.
• It constitutes the northern tip of UP and located at the foothills of the shiwalik range.
• It connects 4 States
○ Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
• Currently UP has 3 tiger reserves-
○ Amangarh, Pilibhit and dudhwa tiger reserve.
8. China makes new claims in Eastern Border with Bhutan

• 1st time China included Bhutan's eastern sectors to the boundary dispute between the two
countries
• China stopped UNDP's GEF funding for Sakteng wildlife sanctuary
• It will bring China closer to India's vulnerable "Chickens neck" or Siliguri Corridor.
• Bhutan also serves as a buffer between India and China.

9. Dehing patkai wildlife sanctuary

Why in news?
• Assam to upgrade this sanctuary to National park to protect it from coal and oil mining
exploration.
• Located within the larger Dehing patkai Elephant reserve(spreads across the coal and oil rich
districts of upper Assam)
○ Also known as Jeypore rainforest located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam
○ Dehing river flows through this forest.
• this sanctuary lies at the foot of Patkai hills.
• Other National Parks in Assam:
○ Dibru-saikhowa, Kaziranga , Manas, Nameri, Orang.
10. Kuwait

Why in news?
• Kuwait approves Expat quota bill
• To introduce a quota system for employing foreigners in Kuwait.
• To reduce the number of foreign workers and to balance the population proportion of Kuwait and
Expats.
• As per this bill, Indian expatriate community should not exceed 15% of the National population.
• It will reduce the Indian presence in Kuwait by 7-8 lakhs and impact India's remittance economy

11. Hagiya Sofia (Turkey)

Why in news?
• Recently this iconic Istanbul museum has been converted into mosque
• Originally built as the cathedral for the capital of the eastern Roman empire.
• Became a mosque in 1453 with the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.
• In 1934 became a museum and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
12. Bhashan char (Bangladesh)

Why in news?
• Uninhabited Island in bay of Bengal where the Bangladesh has made shelter houses for 1 lakh
rohingya refugees.
• Falls in an ecologically fragile area prone to floods erosion and cyclones

13. Mizoram quake zone

Why in news?
• Mizoram experienced at least 8 moderate earthquakes in june and july 2020
• Studies attribute this to the presence of 2 geological faults
○ Churachandpur Mau fault (runs north-south into Myanmar along the border of champhai
district)
○ Mat fault (runs Northwest and southeast across Mizoram beneath river Mat near Serchhip)
• Faults are discontinuities or cracks that are the result of differential motion within the earth's
crust
• Vertical or lateral slippage of the crust along the faults causes an earthquake
14. Chabahar rail project(Iran)

15. RayalSeema lift irrigation project (RLIP)

 • Aims to provide assured water to the entire 19lakh acres in 4 districts of rayalaseema in Andhra
Pradesh
• Rayalaseema region located in Southwest region of Andhra Pradesh.
• Borders with Tamilnadu to the South, Karnataka to the west and Telangana to the north
• Project will draw water from Srisailam project which is transported through canal.
○ Srisailam dam constructed across the Krishna river in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh

16. Natanz ( Iran)

• Recently a series of unexplained fires and explosions was reported in Iran at several places
included Natanz
• It is where iran's main nuclear facilities located.

17. European union

• 15th Indian European union summit held via virtual conference
18. Kedarnath dham Uttarakhand

• Kedarnath is set amidst the Garhwal Himalayas at the head of the Mandakini river.
• Located in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
• It's a part of char dham and panch Kedar in Uttarakhand
• One of the twelve jyotirlingas of lord Shiva

19. Azad Pattan hydropower project

• Pakistan and China signed an agreement for the 700 megawatt project on the Jhelum river in
POK.
• Second power project under the CPEC.
• First was for kohala project also on Jhelum river.
20. South China sea
21. Chattogram and mongla ports

• Under protocol on inland water transit and trade, in addition to 6 existing ports of call, five more
added in each country.
• It will provide alternative and shorter route to connect northeast region through Bangladesh.

22. Jaigaon-Ahllay trade route

• New trade route commenced between India and Bhutan.
• It will operate between Jaigaon in West Bengal and Ahllay in Bhutan.
• It will enable smoother trade of goods and strengthening of sub-regional corporation amid
Chinese inroads into South Asia.

23. Zoram mega food park in Mizoram

• Recently set up by ministry of food processing industries

• First MFP operationalised in Mizoram.
• It will link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers , processes and
retailers
• It ensures maximizing value addition and minimising wastage, increasing farmers income and
creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
• Based on cluster approach.
24. Kakrapar atomic Power plant Gujarat.
25. Lonar lake

• Recently colour of Lonar Lake turned pink due to a large presence of the salt loving "Haloarchaea"
microbes
• Haloarchaea is a bacteria culture which produces pink pigment and found in water saturated with
salt.
• Lonar lake is the world's largest basaltic impact crater, formed when a meteorite hit earth around
56000 years ago.
• Located in Buldhana district in Maharashtra.

26. National waterways

• Ministry of shipping waives waterways usage charges for 3 years
27. Islamic state global presence
• Recent UN report warns of significant number of Isis terrorist in Kerala in Karnataka

28. Ravines of Chambal region

• Centre has decided to convert large areas of ravines area of Gwalior Chambal belt into arable land
with World Bank support
• It would involve leveling of the ravines, building percolation tanks and creating bunds to prevent
erosion of soil.
• It will improve agriculture development and creating employment opportunities.
• Ravines are badland topography formed by Deep erosive action of water on the soil.
• Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat account for about 70% of the country's
ravines

29. Maldives

• India and Maldives signed a bilateral packed under high impact community development projects
HICDP.
• include participation in areas of livelihood and income generation, health ,education ,gender and
child empowerment, commerce , sports and sustainable development
• Also include development of fish processing plants, Addu tourism zone etc.
30. Baghjan oil well Assam

• NGT has faulted oil India limited for fire breakout here.
• Fire break out has lead to extensive damage to both Maguri-Motapung wetland(spot known for
Avian and aquatic species) and dibru-saikhowa National park.

31. Okavango delta Botswana

• Recently high number of elephant carcasses were found here.

• Cause of death is not known.
• Botswana has the world's largest elephant population estimated at 130000.
• Delta is in Northwest Botswana comprises permanent Marshall Islands and seasonally flooded
plains.
• It is an interior delta system that do not flow into a sea or ocean
• It is declared as UNESCO World Heritage as well as a ramsar site
32. Yangtze river China

• NASA images have shown flood water spilling from three gorges dam built over the river.
• Yangtze is Asia's longest river.
• Three gorges dam is world's largest hydroelectric dam.

33. India Myanmar Thailand trilateral highway (IMTTH)

• It will connect Moreh in Manipur and mae sot in Thailand

• Part of India's act East policy
• it will provide greater connectivity and seamless movement of goods and people and traffic across
three countries.
• Particularly benefit North eastern region as well as mayanmar and ASEAN States.
• Challenges to project- geographical terrain and excessive rainfall.