World Panorama

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 GK & Current Affairs
Indian and World Panorama
Module–2 : World Panorma
List of Important Geographical
Discoveries Around the World
•• Amundsen (Norwegian)-Discovered South Pole in 1912.
•• Byrd-American aviator and polar explorer. Flew over the
North Pole in 1926 and made the first flight over the South
Pole in 1929. Discovered Edsel Ford mountains and Morei
Byrd land.
•• Cabot (Venetian)-Discovered New Foundland in 1494.
•• Captain Cook (English)-Discovered Sandwich (now
Hawaiian) Isles in 1770.
•• Columbus-Discovered West Indies in 1492 and South
America in 1498.
•• Copernicus-Discovered Solar System in 1540. Propounded
the astronomical system which bears his name.
•• David Livingstone-Discovered course of the Zambesi, the
Victoria Falls and Lake Nyasa in Africa.
•• Edmund Hillary-Joint conqueror of Mount Everest with
Tenzing. He also led a Trans-Atlantic expedition and
reached South Pole on January 3, 1958.
•• Ferdinand de Lesseps-Conceived the plan of the Suez
Canal on which work was completed in 1869 through his
efforts.
•• Francis Younghusband-Explored the frontier regions of
India, China and Tibet.
•• Kepler-Discovered the Laws of Planetary Motion in 1609.
World’s Most Powerful Intelligence Agencies
Detective Agency Country
Ministry of State Security China
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) Australia
FSB Russia
State Security Agency South Africa
Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Pakistan
MI (Military Intelligence) 5 and 6, Special UK
Branch, Joint Intelligence org.
Research and Analysis wing (RAW), India
Intelligence Bureau (IB)
Direction Generale De La Securite Exterieure (DGSE),
France
The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) is
the intelligence agency of France. It was founded in 1982 to
gather intelligence from foreign sources to assist in military
and strategic decisions. It is not as famous as CIA or Mossad,
but DGSE claims to have prevented more than 15 terrorist
•• Lindbergh-Performed the first solo-flight across the
Atlantic in 1927 from New York to Paris.
•• Magellan-Commanded the first expedition in 1519 to sail
round the world. Discovered passage to the Pacific from
the Atlantic through Straits afterwards named after him.
•• Marco Polo-Venetian traveller who explored China, India,
South Eastern countries and published the record of his
various explorations. He was the first European to visit
China.
•• Nansen-Norwegian explorer who explored across
Greenland and reached the highest altitude in the North
Polar Region, till then attained.
•• Peary, Robert-First to reach the North Pole in 1909.
•• Pedro Alvares Cabral (Portuguese) - Discovered Brazil
in 1500.
•• Shackleton-Arctic explorer, reached within 160 km of the
South Pole.
•• Sven Hedin-Swedish explorer. Made great contribution to
the geographic and archaeological knowledge of large areas
of Central Asia.
•• Iksman-Dutch navigator, discovered the Tasmania Island
and New Zealand in 1642.
•• Tenzing (Indian)-First to reach Mount Everest on 29th
May, 1953 along with Edmund Hillary. The expedition was
led by Col. Sir John Hunt.
•• Vasco da Gama (Portuguese)-Rounded the Cape of Good
Hope and discovered the sea route to India in 1498.
Detective Agency Country
VAJA Iran
MOSSAD Israel
Egyption Homeland Security Egypt
PSIA Japan
Iraqi National Intelligence Service Iraq
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal USA
Bureau of investigation (FBI)
DGSE (Direction General Dela Securite France
Exterieure.
attacks in France since 9/11. The agency has a network of
around 5000 agents spread across France and the world. Its
head office is in the 20th arrondissement of Paris.
The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations,
MOSSAD, Israel
One of the most powerful secret service agencies in the
world, the Mossad, meaning Institute for Intelligence and

Special Operations, is the national intelligence agency of
Israel. Mossad, like the CIA, has active agents spread across
the world and are involved in intelligence gathering, covert
operations and ‘protecting Jews and Jewish interests’. Mossad
was formed on December 13, 1949, as the Central Institute for
Coordination at the recommendation of Prime Minister David
Ben-Gurion to Reuven Shiloah.
Federal Security Services (FSB), Russia
Federal Security Services is the principal security agency
of Russia and the foremost successor agency to the USSR’s
Committee of State Security(KGB). Its main responsibilities
are within the country and include counter-intelligence, internal
and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance as
well as investigating some other types of grave crimes and
federal law violations. It is headquartered in Lubyanka Square,
Moscow’s centre, in the main building of the former KGB.
The Director of the FSB since 2008 is army general Aleksandr
Bortnikov.
Ministry of State Security (MSS), China
The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is one of the most
powerful and most active Chinese intelligence agencies. Its
main objective is to keep track and neutralise “enemies” of
the Communist Party of China. It is headquartered near the
Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China
in Beijing. MSS holds the same authority to arrest or detain
people as regular police for crimes involving state security
with identical supervision by the procuratorates and the courts.
Military Intelligence Section 6 (MI6), United Kingdom
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), popularly referred to
as the Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6 (MI6),
is known as the “the secret front line” of Britain`s national
security. A century old organisation, the MI6’s presence was
not officially acknowledged till 1994. The agency is tasked
with gathering foreign intelligence from across the globe that
could impact political and economic interests in the UK. Since
1995, the SIS headquarters have been at Vauxhall Cross on the
South Bank of the River Thames.
Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan
Established in 1948, Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) is the premier military operated intelligence
service of Pakistan. The ISI was established as an independent
intelligence service in 1948 in order to strengthen the sharing
of military intelligencebetween the three branches of Pakistan
Armed Forces in the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947,
which had exposed weaknesses in intelligence gathering, sharing
and coordination between the Army, Air Force and Navy.The
ISI has headquarters in Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Venue, and
is currently headed by Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhter, who
succeeded Zaheerul Islam in October 2014.
Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, United States
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States
of America is indeed the largest secret service with the
maximum reach. The CIA is known to play a pivotal role
3
in helping the US maintain its status as the world’s sole
super power. More importantly, CIA has been playing a
central role in exchange of intelligence between countries to
combat global terrorism.
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW, India)
Founded in 1968, the Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW), initially, focused its activities in India’s
immediate neighbourhood but with the changing profile
of New Delhi’s geo-political interests, it has spread its
wings to other regions across the world. The primary
function of R&AW is gathering foreign intelligence and
counter-terrorism. R&AW was formed in September
1968 under the guidance of its first Director, Rameshwar
Nath Kao. Headquartered in New Delhi.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
Canadian Security Intelligence Services is Canada’s primary
national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting,
analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats
to Canada’s national security, and conducting operations,
covert and overt, within Canada and abroad. It also reports
to and advises the government of Canada on national security
issues and situations that threaten the security of the nation. Its
headquarters is located in Ottawa, Ontario, in a purpose-built
facility completed in 1995.
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) is
Australia’s intelligence watchdog which keeps a close watch on
developments across the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific
region. Although Australia is relatively isolated from global
terror, still ASIS works 24x7 to protect the country’s political
and economic interests. Interestingly, the existence of ASIS,
founded in 1952, was a secret even from its own government
for over twenty years. Its current Director-General is Nick
Warner.
Some Important Boundary Lines
Durand Line: between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Hindenberg Line: between Germany and Poland
49th Parallel: between USA and Canada
Mac Mahon Line: between India and Tibet/China
Maginot Line: between France and Germany
38th Parallel: between North and South Korea
Oder Neisse Line: between Germany and Poland
Radcliffe Line: between India and Pakistan
17th Parallel: between India and Pakistan (as claimed by
Pakistan)
Famous Landmarks around the World
1. The Statue of Liberty in New Your: USA
2. The Eiffel tower in Paris: France
3. St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow : Russia
4. The Great Sphinx at Giza, The Pyramids of Giza:
Egypt
5. Neptune and the Place of Versailles: France
 4
6. The Great wall of China : China Aleuts : Alaska
7. The Taj Mahal in Agra : India Ainus : Japan
8. Christ the Redeemer: Rio de Janeiro Aeta : Phillip Cines
9. Mecca: Saudi Arabia Bushman : Kalahari
10. Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: Germany Buryak : Central Asia
11. Acropolis of Athens: Greece Berbers : N. Africa
12. Niagara Falls : Border of Ontario (Canada) and New Bedouin : Sahara and Middle East
York (USA) Koryaks : N. Siberia, Eurassian Tunda, N.E. Asia
13. Angkor Wat : Cambodia Kalmuk : Central Asia
14. St. Peter’s Cathedral : Vatican City Kareus or Meos : Myanmar
15. Mount Rushmore: South Dakota Kirghiz : Asiatic steppes
16. The Grand Canyon : Arizona Kazakhs : Kazakhistan
17. Sydney Opera House : Australia Lapps : N. Finland, Scandinavian, country
18. Forbidden City : Beijing Bindibu or Aborigins : Australia
19. The Colosseum: Rome, Italy Chukchi : N.E. Asia, U.S.S.R., North Siberia
20. The Empire State Building : New York Eskimos : Greenland, North Canada, Alaska, N. Siberia
21. Abu Simbel : Egypt Fulani : Western Africa
22. Tower of Pisa : Italy Gobi Mongols : Gobi
23. The Burj al Arab Hotel : Dubai Guicas : Amazon forest area
24. Stonehenge: Wiltshire, United Kindom Hausa : North Nigeria
25. Big Ben : London Hotten tots : Hot tropical Africa
Ibans : Equatorial rain forest region of South-East Asia
Some Important Tribes and their Home
India Tribes : Amazon basin
Maoris : New Zealand
Masai : East and Central Africa
Orange Asli : Malaysia
Pygmies : Congo basin, Zaire
Red Indian : N. America
Somoyeds : Siberia
Semangs : East Sumatra
Turregs : Sahara
Tapiro : Papua New Guinea
Yoakuts : Siberia
Zulus : South Africa