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

What is the primary language of the Chagos Archipelago?

  1. English

  2. French

  3. Creole

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

Creole, a French-based language, is the primary language spoken in the Chagos Archipelago. It developed during the period of French colonial rule and has remained the lingua franca among the Chagossian community.

Multiple choice

Which language group is represented by the Swahili language?

  1. Niger-Congo

  2. Afro-Asiatic

  3. Austronesian

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

Swahili, a Bantu language, belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. It is widely spoken along the East African coast and serves as a lingua franca in the region.

Multiple choice

What is the predominant language spoken in the Seychelles?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Creole

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

Creole, a French-based language, is the predominant language spoken in the Seychelles. It developed during the period of French colonial rule and has become the lingua franca among the Seychellois population.

Multiple choice

Which language is closely related to Malagasy, the language spoken in Madagascar?

  1. Indonesian

  2. Malay

  3. Javanese

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

Malagasy is closely related to Cham, a language spoken in central and southern Vietnam. Both languages belong to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the Comoros?

  1. French

  2. Arabic

  3. Comorian

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

Comorian, also known as Shikomori, is the official language of the Comoros. It is a Bantu language closely related to Swahili and is widely spoken among the Comorian population.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in Réunion?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Creole

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

French is the official language and is spoken by the majority of the population in Réunion. Creole, a French-based language, is also widely spoken and serves as a lingua franca among the Réunionnais population.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language of the Socotra Archipelago?

  1. Arabic

  2. English

  3. Socotri

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

Socotri is the primary language spoken in the Socotra Archipelago. It is a Semitic language closely related to Arabic and is spoken by the majority of the population on the island.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population in Mayotte?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Comorian

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

French is the official language and is spoken by the majority of the population in Mayotte. Shimaore, a Bantu language closely related to Comorian, is also widely spoken among the Mahoran population.

Multiple choice

What are some examples of pidgins and creoles?

  1. Tok Pisin

  2. Sranan Tongo

  3. Jamaican Patois

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

There are many examples of pidgins and creoles around the world. Some of the most well-known examples include Tok Pisin, Sranan Tongo, and Jamaican Patois.

Multiple choice

What are some examples of pidgins and creoles?

  1. Tok Pisin

  2. Sranan Tongo

  3. Jamaican Patois

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

There are many examples of pidgins and creoles around the world. Some of the most well-known examples include Tok Pisin, Sranan Tongo, and Jamaican Patois.

Multiple choice

Are the Onge and Jarawa languages mutually intelligible?

  1. Yes

  2. No
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Onge and Jarawa languages are not mutually intelligible, which means that speakers of one language cannot understand speakers of the other language.

Multiple choice

What is the basic word order of the Onge and Jarawa languages?

  1. SOV

  2. SVO

  3. VSO

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

The Onge and Jarawa languages have a Subject-Object-Verb basic word order.

Multiple choice

Which Tibeto-Burman language is spoken in the Indian state of Manipur?

  1. Tibetan

  2. Burmese

  3. Nepali

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

Nepali is spoken by a significant portion of the population in Manipur, particularly in the Imphal Valley.

Multiple choice

Which classical language is known for its rich oral tradition and epic poems?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

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

Old English, the language of Anglo-Saxon England, is renowned for its epic poems, such as Beowulf, which showcase its rich oral tradition and storytelling.

Multiple choice

Which classical language influenced the development of modern European languages?

  1. Sanskrit

  2. Latin

  3. Greek

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

Latin, the language of ancient Rome, had a profound influence on the development of modern European languages, contributing to their vocabulary, grammar, and structure.