Geography related articles in News

News– Recently, Georgia has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO).

About Georgia

• Location: It is a country in the Transcaucasia region, situated at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia.
• Capital: Tbilisi
• Bordering Countries:
  • North & Northeast: Russia
  • East & Southeast: Azerbaijan
  • South: Armenia and Türkiye
• Bordering Water Body: Black Sea (to the West)
• Geographical Features:
  • Highest Point: Mount Shkhara (5,068 meters).
  • Mountain Ranges: Greater Caucasus Range (Northern Georgia), Lesser Caucasus Range (Southern Georgia).
  • Major Rivers: Mtkvari (Kura), Rioni, Inguri, and Kodori.
• Conflict Regions: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Ajaria (historical conflicts).
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Includes Gelati Monastery and Upper Svaneti

News: A team of international researchers from North America and Kenya has conducted a genetic survey of cyanobacteria in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya.

About Lake Victoria

• Geographic location- It is situated in East Africa and is bordered by three countries: Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
• It is the world’s largest tropical lake and the second-largest freshwater lake by surface area after Lake Superior.
• It is the largest lake in the African Great Lakes region.
• Lake Victoria is also known as Victoria Nyanza in Kenya, Nalubaale in Uganda, and Ukerewe in Tanzania.
• It serves as the source of the White Nile, which flows northward and merges with the Blue Nile in Sudan to form the Nile River.
• The lake hosts the world’s largest freshwater fishery, producing 1 million tons of fish annually, employing 200,000 people, and supporting the livelihoods of 4 million people.

About African Great Lakes

Apart from Lake Victoria some other African great lakes are following:

• Lake Tanganyika:
  • It is the second largest lake in eastern Africa.
  • It is the longest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest after Lake Baikal in Russia.
  • Bordered by Tanzania,Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Zambia.
• Lake Malawi (Nyasa):
  • Africa’s third-largest lake, renowned for its rich biodiversity, especially cichlid fish.
  • Bordered by Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
  • It is a meromictic lake, meaning that its water layers do not mix.
• Lake Turkana:
  • It stands as Africa’s fourth-largest lake and the largest permanent desert lake in the world.
  • It is designated as the UNESCO World Heritage site and is renowned for its unique biodiversity and cultural significance.
  • It mostly lies in Kenya, extending into Ethiopia.

Note– These lakes are part of the East African Rift System, formed due to tectonic movements over millions of years.

News: The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute by 6% to Rs. 5,650 per quintal. 

About Jute Crop

• Jute is an important natural fibre crop in India next to cotton. It is also known as the ‘Golden Fibre’. 
• It grows well on alluvial or loamy soil. 
• It is a Kharif crop and requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate. 
  • Ideal Temperature: 25-35°C 
  • Rainfall: 150-250 cm 
  • Relative Humidity: 80-90% 
• India produces about three-fifth of jute production of the world.  
  • West Bengal accounts for about three-fourth of jute production in the country. 
  • Other important jute growing states are Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya. 
• Jute is an important cash crop and used for making bags, mats ropes, yarn, carpets and decorative items. 

News: Recently, a family of four drowned in the Bharathapuzha River.

About Bharathapuzha River

• Length of the river– 209 km
• It is the second-longest river in Kerala, after the Periyar River.
• It is considered as the Nile of kerela and is also known as Nila, Ponnani, Kuttippuram .
• Course and Origin– The river rises in the Anaimalai Hills of Tamil Nadu, flows westward through the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats, and finally empties into the Arabian Sea.
• Major Tributaries: Kannadipuzha, Kalpathipuzha, Gayathripuzha, and Thuthapuzha.
• Out of the total drainage area, two-thirds, which is 4400 sq.km., is in Kerala, and the remaining 1786 sq.km. is in Tamil Nadu.
• Reservoirs and Dams: The Malampuzha Dam, constructed across the river, is the largest reservoir in Kerala and is utilized for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
• Cultural Significance– Kerala Kalamandalam, a renowned center for Indian performing arts like Kathakali, Koodiyattam, and Ottamthullal, is located at Cheruthuruty on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River in Thrissur district.

News: Kenya’s renowned Lake Naivasha is being severely affected by the spread of water hyacinth, which has overtaken significant portions of the lake.

About Lake Naivasha

• It is a shallow freshwater lake situated in Kenya’s southern Rift Valley.
• It is designated as the Ramsar site.
• It is of relatively recent geological origin and is surrounded by extinct or dormant volcanoes.
• The lake is fed by the perennial Malewa and Gilgil Rivers, which drain the Aberdare Mountains of central Kenya.
• Flora:
  • Papyrus reeds (Cyperus papyrus) dominate much of the shoreline.
  • The lake also hosts submerged vegetation, including species of Potamogeton, and floating mats of the invasive water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes.
• Fauna:
  • Lake Naivasha is famous for its high populations of hippos and flamingos.
  • The lake hosts more than 400 bird species.

News: A private telecom service provider has deployed 4G and 5G connectivity services to Siachen Glacier. 

About Siachen Glacier 

• Siachen Glacier is a piedmont glacier located in the Karakoram Range of the Himalayas. 
  • It lies between Saltoro Ridge to the west and the main Karakoram range to the east. 
• It is the world’s second longest non-polar glacier, after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan. 
• Siachen glacier is also known as the Third Pole as it contains more fresh water than is found anywhere else on Earth except for the polar ice caps. 
• It is the major source of the Nubra River, a major tributary of the Shyok River. 
• The Siachen Glacier is considered the world’s highest battleground as India and Pakistan have fought for control of the Siachen Glacier. 
  • In 1984, India took control of the glaciers under Operation Meghdoot. 
• Studies suggest an increased rate of melting of Siachen Glacier in recent times due to climate change, heavy military presence, dumping of large amount of non-biodegradable wastes. 

News: Workers stand trapped in a flooded coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district. Out of the nine workers, the bodies of four workers have been recovered while the rescue operation is still in progress. 

About Rat-Hole Mining 

• Rat hole mining is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams. It involves digging tunnels 3-4 feet deep, hardly allowing workers to crawl in and out. 
• This type of mining is prevalent in Meghalaya. 
• The tunnels are so narrow that workers must squat while extracting coal with pickaxes. 
• It is of two types:  
  • Side cutting Mining: This type of mining is usually done on hill slopes by following a coal seam. Here, narrow tunnels are dug on hill slopes and workers go inside until they find the coal seam. 
  • Box cutting Mining: It involves digging a circular or squarish pit at least 5 sq. metre in width up to a depth of 400 feet. Once the coal seam is found, narrow tunnels are dug horizontally through which workers can extract coal. 
• Rat hole mining raises serious concerns over workers health and safety as it may lead to asphyxiation because of poor ventilation, collapse of mines due to lack of structural support and flooding. 
• It also has several negative implications for the environment like land degradation, deforestation and water pollution. 

News: The US President-elect recently announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”

About Gulf of Mexico

• Location: The Gulf of Mexico is a large body of water bordered by the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Cuba.
• Connections:
  • Connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Straits of Florida
  • Connected to the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatán Channel
• Size: It is the largest gulf in the world and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Formation: Formed around 300 million years ago due to seafloor subsidence caused by tectonic movements.
• Geography
  • Depth: The Gulf has an average depth of 1,615 meters, with shallow areas along the continental shelf.
  • Coastal Areas: The Gulf is bordered by the U.S. states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and Mexico’s eastern coast, including the Yucatán Peninsula.
• Climate
  • Type: Ranges from tropical to subtropical.
  • Severe Weather: The region is known for hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms.
• Rivers– The Mississippi River and the Rio Grande are the two major rivers that drain into the Gulf.

News: Residents of Taranagar village in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, saw underground water gush out unexpectedly from December 27 to 29. Geologists from Rajasthan’s State Ground Water Department attributed the phenomenon to an “artesian condition”.

About Artesian Condition

• Artesian conditions occur when groundwater is confined under pressure within an aquifer, trapped between two impermeable layers of rock or clay. This pressurized water rises naturally to the surface when the upper confining layer is punctured, such as through drilling a well.
• The term “artesian” originates from Artois, France, where artesian wells were first drilled in the Middle Ages.
• Key Features: 
  • Confined Aquifer: The water is stored in a pressurized aquifer, surrounded by impermeable layers that trap it.
  • Natural Flow: Artesian water flows naturally to the surface without the need for pumping, driven by underground pressure.
  • Depth: Artesian aquifers are located deeper below the surface compared to regular groundwater sources.
• Difference from Normal Wells
  • Unlike normal wells, artesian wells do not require pumping, as the water flows to the surface naturally due to high pressure. Artesian water is also deeper and confined within impermeable rock, whereas regular wells access unconfined groundwater.
  • These conditions are significant in arid regions, providing a steady water supply, as seen in places like Rajasthan and Australia.

News: ISRO’s PSLV-C60 POEM-4 Mission has achieved a milestone by germinating cowpea seeds under microgravity conditions within four days of the launch of the mission. 

About Cowpea 

• The cowpea is an annual herbaceous legume within the pea family. 
• The plant was originally domesticated in Africa. Presently, they are grown in semi-arid areas covering Africa, Asia, Europe, United States, Central and South America. 
• Characteristics: 
  • Tolerates sandy soil and low rainfall. 
  • Possess nitrogen fixation properties, which replenishes the fertility of soils. 
  • Has multiple uses like food, feed, forage etc. 
  • Rich source of proteins, minerals and vitamins. 
  • Its wide leaves keep soil and soil moisture conserved due to shading effect. 
• Climate: It is warm weather and semi-arid crop. The crop is best suited to temperatures ranging from 20-degree celsius to 30-degree celsius. 
• Production:
  • Globally, African continent dominates the cowpea production. 
  • In India, cowpea is cultivated mainly in the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana etc.