Geographical Features

 Saffron

The foundation stone for the campus of the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) has been laid in Shillong, Meghalaya, to promote saffron cultivation in the North East. NECTAR is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology.

About Saffron

• Saffron is a spice derived from the stigmas of the purple flowers of the Crocus sativus plant.
• Known as "Red Gold" due to its orange-red stigmas, which contain crocetin.
• Cultivation: Saffron is mainly cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir (GI-tagged saffron), Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka. The Mission Saffron initiative has expanded saffron cultivation to Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.

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Supersolid
Scientists have recently transformed light into a "supersolid" for the first time. Previously, supersolidity had only been observed in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), a state of matter formed when a group of bosons is cooled to near absolute zero, causing them to occupy the same quantum state.

About Supersolid

• A supersolid is a rare state of matter that exhibits both solid-like structure and frictionless flow.
• It is characterized by quantum mechanics, where particles condense into a crystalline solid but still move like a liquid with no viscosity.
• Viscosity refers to a substance's internal friction that determines how smoothly it flows.
• Supersolids form at extremely low temperatures, typically very close to absolute zero.

Uses: Supersolids hold potential for quantum computing, superconductors, frictionless lubricants, and other advanced technologies.

Syria (Capital: Damascus)
Alawite minorities in Syria have faced attacks amid the ongoing conflict in the country.

Political Features

• Located in West Asia, Syria borders Turkey (to the north), Iraq (to the east), Jordan (to the south), and Israel and Lebanon (to the west).
• Bordering Water Bodies: Mediterranean Sea (to the west).

Geographical Features

• Major physical regions include the Syrian Desert, Euphrates River Valley, and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which mark the border with Lebanon.
• Major Rivers: Euphrates, Orontes, and Tigris.
• Highest Point: Mount Hermon.
• Major Conflict Cities: Aleppo, Homs, Idlib, and the Golan Heights (a disputed territory with Israel).

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