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 spoken by the majority of the population in the Seychelles?

  1. Seychellois Creole

  2. English

  3. French

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

Seychellois Creole is the main language spoken in the Seychelles, although English and French are also official languages.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a language that has undergone language death?

  1. Cornish

  2. Manx

  3. Potawatomi

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

All of the above are examples of languages that have undergone language death.

Multiple choice

What is the most widely spoken language in the Indian Ocean Region?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Arabic

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

Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language, is the most commonly spoken language in the Indian Ocean Region, with a large population of speakers in India and neighboring countries.

Multiple choice

Which language family is native to Madagascar?

  1. Austronesian

  2. Niger-Congo

  3. Afro-Asiatic

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

The Austronesian language family, originating in Southeast Asia, is the native language family of Madagascar, with Malagasy being the most widely spoken language on the island.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of Mauritius?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Hindi

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

English is the official language of Mauritius, a legacy of British colonial rule, although French and Creole are also widely spoken.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Swahili, a widely spoken language in East Africa?

  1. Niger-Congo

  2. Afro-Asiatic

  3. Indo-European

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

Swahili, a Bantu language, belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, which is widely spoken in sub-Saharan Africa.

Multiple choice

What is the linguistic root of Creole languages spoken in the Indian Ocean Region?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Austronesian

  3. Niger-Congo

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

Creole languages in the Indian Ocean Region, such as Mauritian Creole and Seychelles Creole, have roots in Niger-Congo languages, with influences from European languages.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Persian, a widely spoken language in Iran and Afghanistan?

  1. Indo-European

  2. Afro-Asiatic

  3. Austronesian

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

Persian, also known as Farsi, belongs to the Indo-European language family, with its roots in ancient Iranian languages.

Multiple choice

Which language family includes Somali, a language spoken in the Horn of Africa?

  1. Afro-Asiatic

  2. Niger-Congo

  3. Austronesian

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

Somali belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, which includes languages spoken in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa.

Multiple choice

What is the linguistic root of Comorian, a language spoken in the Comoros Islands?

  1. Afro-Asiatic

  2. Niger-Congo

  3. Austronesian

  4. Indo-European
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Comorian, also known as Shikomori, belongs to the Niger-Congo language family, specifically the Bantu branch, and is closely related to other Bantu languages spoken in East Africa.

Multiple choice

What is the most common type of sign language?

  1. American Sign Language (ASL)

  2. British Sign Language (BSL)

  3. Chinese Sign Language (CSL)

  4. French Sign Language (LSF)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

ASL is the most common sign language in the world, with over 500,000 users in the United States and Canada.

Multiple choice

Which sign language is used in the United Kingdom?

  1. American Sign Language (ASL)

  2. British Sign Language (BSL)

  3. Chinese Sign Language (CSL)

  4. French Sign Language (LSF)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

BSL is the sign language used in the United Kingdom and has over 70,000 users.

Multiple choice

What is the sign language used in China?

  1. American Sign Language (ASL)

  2. British Sign Language (BSL)

  3. Chinese Sign Language (CSL)

  4. French Sign Language (LSF)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

CSL is the sign language used in China and has over 20 million users.

Multiple choice

Which sign language is used in France?

  1. American Sign Language (ASL)

  2. British Sign Language (BSL)

  3. Chinese Sign Language (CSL)

  4. French Sign Language (LSF)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

LSF is the sign language used in France and has over 100,000 users.

Multiple choice

Approximately how many languages are considered endangered worldwide?

  1. Less than 100

  2. Between 100 and 500

  3. Between 500 and 1000

  4. More than 1000
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Estimates suggest that over 1000 languages are currently endangered, with many facing extinction.