Places in news – Part 6 | Prelims Capsules 2021

Lakshadweep Islands

Why in news?

New Lakshadweep regulations proposed by its new administrator are attracting opposition from local leaders.

• Read more about these regulations here

Lakshadweep islands

• It is a group of 36 coral islands in the Arabian Sea.
• The name Lakshadweep in Malayalam and Sanskrit means ‘a hundred thousand islands’.
• These are coral islands located off the coast of Kerala.
• It is a uni-district Union Territory (UT) and comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks, and ten inhabited islands.

• The natural landscapes, the sandy beaches, the abundance of flora and fauna, and the absence of a rushed lifestyle enhance the mystique of Lakshadweep.
• Muslims constitute more than 93% of the population and the majority of them belong to the Shafi School of the Sunni sect.
• Malayalam is spoken in all the islands except Minicoy where people speak Mahl (a variant of Divehi language spoken in the Maldives) The society in all islands is matriarchal.
• The entire indigenous population has been classified as Scheduled Tribes because of their economic and social backwardness.
• Coconut trees are the main agricultural crop and fisheries is the main economic activity.
• Major sub-group of islands are:
  • Cannanore (Laccadive) islands
  • Minicoy islands
    • Largest of the sub-group.
    • Minicoy is also known as Malikuin the local Divehi language.
  • Amindivi islands
• All these islands have been built up by corals and have fringing coral reefs very close to their shores
• Nine-degree channel: It separates the main Lakshadweep archipelago from Minicoy islands.
  • It is so named as it lies on the 9-degree Latitude, north of the equator
• Eight-degree channel: It separates Minicoy group of islands with Maldives
  • It is so named as it lies on the 8-degree Latitude, north of the equator.

Sea of Marmara

Why in news?

Sea Snot accumulation in the Sea of Marmara (Turkey) is causing worldwide concern.

Sea of Marmara

• Read more: Sea snot

Sea of Marmara

• It is an inland sea which separates Asiatic and European parts of Turkey.
• Bosporus Strait in the northeast connects it with Black Sea
• In the southwest, Dardanelles Strait connects it with the Aegean Sea.
• Sea of Marmara is an area of frequent earthquakes.

El Salvador

Why in news?

El Salvador, a small coastal country in Central America, has become the first country in the world to make Bitcoin, a digital currency, legal.

There are also plans to offer bitcoin mining facilities using renewable energy from the country’s volcanoes.

• El Salvador is also offering citizenship to people who showed evidence they had invested in at least three bitcoins (Three is a bit too much. Don’t you think. El Salvador would attract much more crowd if the requirement is reduced to 0.1 BTC :D)

El Salvador

El Salvador [Capital: San Salvador]

• It is the smallest and most densely populated country of Central America.
• Bordering countries:
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
• Surrounding water bodies:
  • Pacific Ocean (to the south)
  • Gulf of Honduras
  • Gulf of Fonseca
• There are around 20 potentially active volcanoes in El Salvador.

Nigeria

Why in news?

The Nigerian government has “indefinitely suspended” Twitter’s operations in the country.

The suspension comes two days after Twitter deleted a tweet by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari that was widely perceived as offensive.

• In that tweet, the Nigerian leader had threatened to deal with people in the country’s southeast, who he blames for the recurring attacks on public infrastructure in the region.

Nigeria and neighboring countries

Nigeria [Capital – Abuja]

• Bordering countries:
  • Benin
  • Niger
  • Chad
  • Cameroon
• Water bodies:
  • Atlantic Ocean
• Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country (second most populous is Ghana).
• Nigeria is named after the Niger River, which is its principal river. Niger drains into the Gulf of Guinea.
• Nigeria has a tropical climate with variable rainy and dry seasons.
• Economy of Nigeria is mainly based on Petroleum products.
• Boko Haram, a violent insurgent group based in Nigeria, was in news in 2020.