Geography ยท General Awareness

World Languages and Geography

2,195 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 the official language of Afghanistan?

  1. Dari

  2. Pashto

  3. Uzbek

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

Dari is the official language of Afghanistan, along with Pashto.

Multiple choice

What is the status of the Sentinelese language?

  1. Extinct

  2. Critically endangered

  3. Endangered

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

The Sentinelese language is considered to be critically endangered, as it is spoken by a very small number of people and is not being passed on to younger generations.

Multiple choice

Which of these languages is known for its extensive vocabulary related to business and finance?

  1. Chinese

  2. English

  3. Spanish

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

English has a rich vocabulary for business and finance due to its historical role as a global language of trade and commerce.

Multiple choice

What was the official language of the Byzantine Empire?

  1. Latin

  2. Greek

  3. Arabic

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

Greek was the official language of the Byzantine Empire.

Multiple choice

Which language family is the most widely spoken in the world?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Indo-European language family is the most widely spoken in the world, with over 3 billion speakers. It includes languages such as English, Spanish, Hindi, and Russian.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Americas?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Amerind language family is native to the Americas and includes languages such as Nahuatl, Quechua, and Aymara.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to Australia?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Austronesian language family is native to Australia and includes languages such as Maori, Hawaiian, and Samoan.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to Africa?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

  4. Afro-Asiatic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Niger-Congo language family is native to Africa and includes languages such as Swahili, Zulu, and Yoruba.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to Europe?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Indo-European language family is native to Europe and includes languages such as English, Spanish, French, and German.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Middle East?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

  4. Afro-Asiatic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Afro-Asiatic language family is native to the Middle East and includes languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Caucasus region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Caucasian language family is native to the Caucasus region and includes languages such as Georgian, Armenian, and Chechen.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Uralic region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Uralic language family is native to the Uralic region and includes languages such as Finnish, Hungarian, and Estonian.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Altaic region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

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

The Altaic language family is native to the Altaic region and includes languages such as Turkish, Mongolian, and Korean.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to the Eskimo-Aleut region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Sino-Tibetan

  3. Niger-Congo

  4. Eskimo-Aleut
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Eskimo-Aleut language family is native to the Eskimo-Aleut region and includes languages such as Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut.

Multiple choice

What is the traditional language of Haiku?

  1. Japanese

  2. Chinese

  3. Korean

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

Haiku originated in Japan and is traditionally written in the Japanese language.