Geography · General Awareness

World Languages and Geography

2,320 Questions

World languages and geography explore the distribution of major language families, official languages, and native speakers across different continents. The questions cover linguistic demographics in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. This topic is frequently asked in UPSC, SSC, and State PSC general studies papers.

Official languagesLanguage familiesWidely spoken languagesRegional languagesLinguistic geography

World Languages and Geography Questions

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands?

  1. English

  2. French

  3. Creole

  4. Hindi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

The Heard Island and McDonald Islands are uninhabited, so there is no majority language spoken.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in the British Indian Ocean Territory?

  1. English

  2. French

  3. Creole

  4. Hindi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

The British Indian Ocean Territory is uninhabited, so there is no majority language spoken.

Multiple choice

Which extinct language was spoken by the ancient Romans and is the root of many modern Romance languages?

  1. Greek

  2. Latin

  3. Sanskrit

  4. Old English
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire, is an extinct Indo-European language that gave rise to many modern Romance languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the extinct language spoken by the ancient Incas and is known for its use of quipus, a knotted string recording system?

  1. Nahuatl

  2. Quechua

  3. Maya

  4. Incan
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Quechua, spoken by the ancient Incas, is an extinct Quechuan language. It is known for its use of quipus, a system of knotted strings used for recording information and conveying messages.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the official language of a country or region?

  1. National language

  2. Official language

  3. Native language

  4. Mother tongue
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The term 'official language' refers to the language that is recognized by a government as the language of official communication, administration, and education.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most widely spoken in the world?

  1. Mandarin Chinese

  2. Spanish

  3. English

  4. Hindi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, with over 1.1 billion native speakers.

Multiple choice

How many Jarawa languages are there?

  1. 1

  2. 2

  3. 3

  4. 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

There is only one Jarawa language, which is simply called Jarawa.

Multiple choice

What is the status of the Jarawa language?

  1. Endangered

  2. Critically endangered

  3. Extinct

  4. Vulnerable
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Jarawa language is critically endangered, with only a few hundred speakers remaining.

Multiple choice

What is the most common type of language policy in multilingual countries?

  1. Monolingualism

  2. Bilingualism

  3. Multilingualism

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The most common type of language policy in multilingual countries is bilingualism, which allows for the use of two languages in official settings.

Multiple choice

Approximately how many languages are considered endangered?

  1. Less than 1,000

  2. Between 1,000 and 2,000

  3. Between 2,000 and 3,000

  4. More than 3,000
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

UNESCO estimates that over 3,000 languages are endangered, with many facing imminent extinction.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a language that has become extinct in recent times?

  1. Latin

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Old English

  4. Kawaiisu
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Kawaiisu, a Native American language spoken in California, became extinct in 2019 with the passing of its last fluent speaker.

Multiple choice

Which Esperanto word describes a traditional Esperanto belt?

  1. Zono

  2. Tuko

  3. Ganto

  4. Ĉapelo
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Zono is the Esperanto word for a belt.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most widely spoken in the world?

  1. English

  2. Mandarin

  3. Spanish

  4. Hindi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, with over 1.1 billion native speakers.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most popular among international tourists?

  1. English

  2. Spanish

  3. French

  4. German
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

English is the most popular language among international tourists, as it is the most widely spoken language in the world and is used in many countries as a lingua franca.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most popular among international students?

  1. English

  2. Mandarin

  3. Spanish

  4. French
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

English is the most popular language among international students, as it is the language of instruction in many universities around the world.