September 2025

In short: India's places in the news and physical geography this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.

Current Affairs — India › Geography · 11 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.

September 2025's international places-in-the-news round-up — protests halting travel to Machu Picchu, Super Typhoon Ragasa in the Luzon Strait, INS Trikand at the Battle-of-Salamis site, Kigali's historic cycling championship, and a world tour of ten great islands and archipelagos.

September 2025 — At a Glance

September 2025's India-side 'places in the news' — Purnea, Mahi Banswara, Jharsuguda and more — are all claimed by this month's Economy, Science and Society digests. What remains for a genuinely geographic reading is unusually rich: The Recitals' international round-up (Machu Picchu under evacuation, Super Typhoon Ragasa bearing down on the Luzon Strait, a 2,500-year-old Greek naval battle site, a Pakistani border valley, Rwanda's cycling capital, Kenya's historic port city) plus a special feature touring ten of the world's great islands and archipelagos, from the volcanic Galápagos to the Arctic's Svalbard.

Six biggest headlines

Peru evacuated ~1,400 tourists overnight as protests over the local bus operator blocked rail access to Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Inca citadel.
Super Typhoon Ragasa, winds up to 250 km/h, barrelled through the Luzon Strait — the passage linking the South China Sea to the Philippine Sea.
INS Trikand, an Indian Navy stealth frigate, reached Salamis Bay, Greece — site of the decisive 480 BCE naval battle where the Greeks defeated the Persians.
A blast killed 23 in Pakistan's Tirah Valley, a mountainous corridor near the Pak-Afghan border in the Spin Ghar (Safed Koh) range.
Kigali, Rwanda hosted the 2025 UCI Road World Championships — the first time the event was held in Africa.
The Indian Navy's first training squadron called at Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city and a historic Indian Ocean trade hub, under the 'MAHASAGAR' initiative.

1. International Places in the News

Machu Picchu, Peru — evacuation amid protests — Peru evacuated around 1,600 tourists from the train station serving the citadel after protests over the choice of bus operator blocked the rail line. Located in the Andes Mountains, southern Peru, near the Urubamba River; a 15th-century Inca citadel built of stone with ashlar masonry (carefully cut stones fitting without mortar); declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Luzon Strait — Super Typhoon Ragasa — The Philippines halted work and classes as Super Typhoon Ragasa barrelled toward northern Luzon with winds up to 250 km/h. The strait connects the South China Sea (west) with the Philippine Sea/Pacific Ocean (east), contains islands like Batanes and Babuyan (the northern extension of the Philippine archipelago), and lies on the Philippine Plate boundary — prone to both earthquakes and typhoons.
Salamis Bay, Greece — INS Trikand's port call — INS Trikand, a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, reached Salamis Bay on the western coast of Salamis Island near Athens, part of the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Famous for the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE), a decisive naval battle where the Greeks defeated the Persians; a natural harbour well suited to naval operations.
Tirah Valley, Pakistan — a gateway to Afghanistan — At least 23 people were killed in a blast in Pakistan's Tirah Valley, Khyber district (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province). Lies in the Spin Ghar (Safed Koh) mountain range near the Pak-Afghan border; a mountainous valley with rugged terrain and deep gorges that has long served as a natural corridor between Afghanistan and the Peshawar Valley.
Kigali, Rwanda — first African UCI Road World Championships — Kigali hosted the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, marking the first time the major road cycling competition was held in Africa. Situated on Rwanda's central plateau, near the Virunga Mountains; called the 'cleanest city in Africa' via zero-tolerance waste policies; promotes gender equality (64% women in parliament) and refugee hosting; the Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol on HFCs highlights the city's climate-leadership associations.
Mombasa, Kenya — the Navy's MAHASAGAR outreach — The Indian Navy's first training squadron called at Mombasa to strengthen maritime ties with Kenya, part of the 'MAHASAGAR' initiative. A major port city on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, including Mombasa Island and adjacent mainland — the country's second-largest city; tropical coastal climate with beaches, historically a hub for trade (fishing, shipping); its Old Town and iconic Fort Jesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Physical Geography Special: Major Islands & Archipelagos of the World

The Recital carried a special world-tour feature on islands and archipelagos — a genuinely geographic theme (volcanic origins, plate tectonics, strategic chokepoints) that is useful well beyond this month's news cycle.

Major islands and archipelagos of the world
Island / Archipelago	Key fact
Galápagos Islands (Pacific, Ecuador)	Volcanic archipelago (19 main islands); a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1978) called the 'living laboratory of evolution' — home to the giant tortoise, marine iguana and Darwin's finches.
Canary Islands (Atlantic, off Africa — Spain)	Volcanic archipelago (7 main islands) off northwest Africa; includes Mount Teide (Tenerife) — Spain's highest peak and the 3rd-largest volcano on Earth.
Spratly Islands (South China Sea)	Scattered reefs, islets and atolls (~100) at a critical maritime zone connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans; claimed by China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei — a flashpoint within China's 'Nine-Dash Line'.
Fiji (South Pacific Ocean)	Archipelago of 300+ islands northeast of New Zealand and east of Australia; volcanic and coral islands surrounded by reefs and lagoons.
Hawaiian Islands (Central Pacific, USA)	The 50th US state (since 1959), the only one located outside North America; hotspot volcanism includes Mauna Loa (Earth's largest volcano) and Kilauea (most active); hosts the strategically vital Pearl Harbor Naval Base.
Falkland Islands (South Atlantic Ocean)	~778 islands ~500 km east of southern Argentina; cold, windy climate rich in wildlife (penguins, seals); site of the 1982 Falklands War — Argentina invaded, Britain recaptured after 74 days; still a sovereignty dispute.
Svalbard Archipelago (Arctic Ocean)	North of mainland Norway, gateway to the Arctic Ocean and Northern Sea Route; governed by the Svalbard Treaty (1920), giving signatory nations' citizens equal rights to live and work; hosts the Global Seed Vault ('doomsday vault').
Kuril Islands (North Pacific Ocean)	56 volcanic islands stretching from Hokkaido (Japan) to Kamchatka (Russia); controlled by Russia, claimed by Japan as the 'Northern Territories'; part of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', prone to earthquakes and tsunamis.
Faroe Islands (North Atlantic, Denmark)	18 volcanic islands between Iceland, Norway and Scotland with a subpolar oceanic climate; an autonomous Danish territory, self-governing domestically while Denmark handles foreign affairs and defence.
Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago (Central Indian Ocean)	A coral atoll south of the Maldives; part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), sovereignty claimed by Mauritius; hosts a key US military base crucial for Indian Ocean security, surveillance and logistics.