CAPF AC 2021 Q111: Current Affairs – Disasters & Humanitarian Issues
- (a) Thailand
- (b) China
- (c) Indonesia
- (d) Maldives
Answer: (c) Indonesia
Explanation
Mount Merapi
How to think: Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It stands on the island of Java in Indonesia.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Country | Indonesia |
| Location | Border of Central Java and Yogyakarta |
| Meaning of the name | Mountain of Fire |
| Type | Stratovolcano; the most active in Indonesia |
| Major eruption | 2010, when more than 300 people died |
Why Indonesia has so many volcanoes: the Indo-Australian plate slides under the Eurasian (Sunda) plate here.
Indonesia has about 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.
Other Indonesian volcanoes in the news: Sinabung, Semeru, Krakatoa and Tambora.
Answer: (c) Indonesia.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Thailand has no active volcano of this kind.
- (b) Incorrect. China is not where Merapi lies; it is on Java.
- (c) CORRECT. Mount Merapi is on the island of Java in Indonesia.
- (d) Incorrect. The Maldives are low coral islands with no volcanoes.
Key point
Indonesia: about 130 active volcanoes on the Ring of Fire. Merapi (Java), Sinabung (Sumatra), Semeru (Java), Krakatoa (Sunda Strait), Tambora (Sumbawa, 1815).
Remember
Merapi = Mountain of Fire, Java, Indonesia.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Merapi (Java) with Marapi, a different volcano on Sumatra.
- Placing the Ring of Fire volcanoes in mainland countries such as Thailand.
- Thinking coral island countries such as the Maldives can have volcanoes.
Exam tip
Educated guess: when a question asks about an erupting volcano in Asia and Indonesia or the Philippines is an option, that is usually the answer.
Sources
- Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program — Merapi (Indonesia), activity reports for January 2021
- NCERT Class XI Geography — Fundamentals of Physical Geography (distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes)