International Relations (Places in News)

Seas in News:

1. Black Sea — border countries, ports and

countries, straits, rivers etc.
a. Ports
i. of Constanta
ii. Port of Odessa.
iii. Port of Novorossiysk.
iv. Port of Varna.
b. Rivers — The Black Sea is
supplied by major rivers,
principally the Danube, Dnieper
and Dniester.
2. Red Sea — border countries, ports and
straits etc.
a. Suez Canal map
3. Caspian Sea — border countries,
a. Caspian Sea convention

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-
45162282
 4. Mediterranean Sea — border countries, ports and straits etc.
a. Focus on Asian border countries.
b. Turkey straits
5. Baltic Sea — border countries, gas pipeline
a. Nord stream II Map — leakage of gas
b. Bornholm
6. North Sea — border countries, ports
a. Strait of Dover
b. English Channel
7. Northern Sea route — Murmansk, popularly called the capital of the Arctic region and the
beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR)

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-india-and-the-northern-sea-
route/article67230900.ece

8. Dead Sea, Sea of Azov, Aral Sea — map (countries bordering)

9. Sea of Galilee

Ports in News

1. Murmansk – and ports around Arctic

2. IMEC ports - Haifa and others
3. Baltimore port — Bridge collapse?
4. Ashdod port
5. Ports on Red Sea —
https://www.eiu.com/n/red-sea-crisis-a ects-
african-ports/

Rivers in News

1. Ural river — floods

2. Danube river
3. Euphrates
4. Amazon river — and its tributaries
5. Mekong river — drying up!!
6. Zambezi — just location
7. Yellow river

Refugee crisis across World

1. Rwanda — UK plan?
2. Bangladesh — Kutupalong https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/7/thousands-of-rohingya-
homeless-after-fire-in-bangladesh
3. Palestinian related
 a. Jabaliya — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/17/at-least-90-killed-in-latest-
israeli-attacks-on-gazas-jabalia-refugee-camp
b. Rafah camp
c. Baka/Baqaa at Jordan
4. Kenya related
a. Kakuma
b. Turqana
c. Dadaab
5. Afganistan — Torkham and Spin Boldak — https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/16/in-
tents-again-life-comes-full-circle-for-afghans-expelled-from-pakistan

 https://www.unrefugees.org/news/inside-the-worlds-five-largest-refugee-camps/
 https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/11/1143172

Volcanos Erupted

1. Hunga tonga
2. Mount etna
3. Mount ruang https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/remote-indonesia-volcano-
mount-ruang-erupts-again/article68083487.ece
4. Mount Kilauea https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/11/hawaiis-kilauea-volcano-erupts-
for-third-time-this-year
5. Mount Merapi
6. Mount semeru
7. Stromboli
8. Mauna loa
9. Mount erebus https://www.hindustantimes.com/science/amazing-volcano-is-raining-gold-
dust-on-earth-80-gms-a-day-worth-6000-mount-erebus-antarctica-nasa-
101713440976960.html
10. Mayon Volcano — https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/philippines-mayon-volcano-
spews-lava-down-its-slopes-in-gentle-eruption-putting-thousands-on-
alert/article66959904.ece

Other disasters?

1. Tsunami— Pacific ring of fire

2. Drought in Zimbabwe — Lake Kariba — https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/africa/el-nino-
drought-leaves-zimbabwe-s-lake-kariba-only-13-full-a-disaster-for-people-wildlife-95563
3. Somalia flash floods — once in a centur as per UN — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-
africa-67383727
4. Malawi cholera outbreak
5. Gogo island oil spill
 6. Libya flash floods — Omega blocking —
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/what-caused-floods-libya-
8938655/
7. Turkey Earthquake? Gaziantep region
8. Negev desert — https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20221018-kibbutz-lotan-israels-
communal-micro-community

REGION WISE ISSUES/LOCATIONS?

#ASIA

1. Water crisis in Central Asia

a. Kazakhstan declared a state of
emergency in Aktau as Caspian Sea
water levels dropped to a critically
low level.
2. Fergana valley and Isfara valley conflict in
Central Asia
3. Kuril island dispute – Japan Russia
4. East sea - Japan
5. Aegean dispute - greece - turkey
6. Southeast asia map - boundaries,
landlocked nations?
7. Lake Urmia Iran
8. Iraq razzaza, lake sawa iraq
9. Armenia- azerbaijan region —
10. Russia flood - orenburg
11. Russia far east —
a. Must read —
https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/far-east-russia-big-focus-
of-modi-putin-summit/articleshow/88042759.cms
b. Eastern Economic Forum?
c. Regions — Zabaikalsk Territory, Kamchatka Territory,
Magadan Region, Primorsky, Sakha
12. Israel — location, map etc.
13. Myanmar — Rakhine, Kachin, Sittwe
14. Socotra
15. Golan heights

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sanammahoozi/2024/02/09/irans-lake-
urmia-is-lying-on-its-deathbed-with-a-small-window-of-time-left-to-
save-it-experts-warn/?sh=6f7f5b026dc9
#AFRICA

1. List of coups

2. ECOWAS —
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/burkina-mali-niger-quit-west-african-bloc-
ecowas/article67786621.ece
3. Lake - lake chad, chad river, lake Victoria
a. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/climate%20change/amp/climate-change-
conflict-what-is-fuelling-the-lake-chad-crisis-75639
4. Okavango basin —
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4BmXwGtDyVTCcsS0jKlPlR1/the-okavango-
delta-explained
5. Sudan and south sudan crisis —
6. Pink Lake of Senegal
7. Addis ababa, tigray region, amhara region
8. Danakil depression senegal
9. lake retba
10. Somalia - flash floods, poverty , migration to kenya ,
sool region , somali land , barbara port.
a. Somaliland, Puntland

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ethiopia-breakaway-somaliland-sign-
port-deal-somalias-cabinet-calls-emergency-meet/article67697822.ece/amp/
 11. Brazzaville summit - summit of 3 basins
12. Mozambique - caba delgado
13. Zambezi River
14. Sierra leone zombie drug crisis
15. North and south Kivu,Eturi,Tanganyika,region- congo
a. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/eastern-congo-conflict-fighting-
rwanda-explains-
m23/article67912364.ece#:~:text=The%20worsening%20violence%20has%20led,Natio
ns%20report%20supporting%20Congo's%20claims
b. https://www.unhcr.org/africa/emergencies/dr-congo-emergency
16. Sahel region – countries, G-5 group
17. Rwanda - UK asylum
18. France operation barkhane
19. Lamu Archipelago
20. Lake Malawi

#Americas

1. Argentina-falkland island dispute,

a. India - Argentina lithium (Catamarca province)
2. Brazil - lake Tefe, amazon forest region, crisis in Yanomami territory, ashaninka tribe
3. Panama canal — Donkey route
4. Venezuela - humanitarian crisis.
5. Peru - lake palcacocha, protests

https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5080/
#Europe

1. India - EFTA
2. NB-8 Grouping
3. Ukraine - Donbass region , sulina channel , odessa region , ports, nova khakova
4. Crimean port of Feodosia and that the Novocherkassk
5. Lampedusa in Sicily.

#Arctic Antarctic

1. Arctic circle — countries, Svalvard treaty, Arctic council

#Atlantic Ocean

1. AMOC — cause, e ects of weakening, ocean currents in this region

#Indian Ocean

1. Indian ocean dipole – concept and impact?

2. IORA – 7th meeting
3. Malacca strait, kra isthmus.
4. Agalega island
5. FIPIC
6. Kachin region
7. Assumption Island
8. Afanasy Nikitin seamount

#Pacific Ocean

1. Kamchatka peninsula
2. Great garbage pacific

Miscellaneous:

1. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/niobobaotite-china-finds-never-before-seen-
ore-with-highly-valuable-rare-earth-element/articleshow/104466545.cms
2. Amu Darya https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/world/asia/kazakhstan-protests.html
3. Russian far east — https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/russian-far-eastern-
regions-express-readiness-for-indian-investments-in-oil-and-gas-
projects/amp_articleshow/81316566.cms
4. Panama canal drying — https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/more-
trouble-for-global-shipping-sector-as-panama-canal-is-drying-up/article67734006.ece/amp/

 Compiled by Kaptaan Jack Sparrow