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

What is the official language of the Union of the Comoros?

  1. French

  2. Arabic

  3. Comorian

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

Comorian, a Bantu language, is the official language of the Union of the Comoros, spoken by the majority of the population, with French also being widely used.

Multiple choice

Which language is commonly spoken in the coastal regions of Somalia and Kenya?

  1. Somali

  2. Swahili

  3. Arabic

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

Swahili, a Bantu language, serves as a lingua franca in East Africa, particularly in coastal regions of Somalia and Kenya, facilitating communication among diverse communities.

Multiple choice

Which language is predominantly spoken in Mauritius?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Creole

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

Mauritian Creole, a French-based creole language, is widely spoken in Mauritius, reflecting its unique cultural heritage.

Multiple choice

Which language is commonly used in the coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania?

  1. Somali

  2. Swahili

  3. Arabic

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

Swahili, a Bantu language, serves as a lingua franca in East Africa, particularly in coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania, facilitating communication among diverse communities.

Multiple choice

What is the primary language spoken in the Comoros archipelago?

  1. French

  2. Arabic

  3. Comorian

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

Comorian, a Bantu language, is the official language of the Comoros, spoken by the majority of the population, with French also being widely used.

Multiple choice

Which language is predominantly used in Madagascar?

  1. French

  2. English

  3. Malagasy

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

Malagasy, an Austronesian language, is the official language of Madagascar, spoken by the majority of the population, with French also being used in government and education.

Multiple choice

What are the three main types of Hula?

  1. Kahiko

  2. Auana

  3. Modern

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

The three main types of Hula are Kahiko (ancient), Auana (contemporary), and Modern (a blend of both).

Multiple choice

What percentage of the world's languages are considered endangered?

  1. 25%

  2. 50%

  3. 75%

  4. 90%
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

According to UNESCO, approximately 90% of the world's languages are endangered.

Multiple choice

Which endangered language has gained significant attention and support for its revitalization?

  1. Hawaiian

  2. Maori

  3. Quechua

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

The Hawaiian language has received considerable attention and support for its revitalization efforts, including the establishment of language immersion schools and cultural programs.

Multiple choice

Which language is the official language of China?

  1. Chinese

  2. Mandarin

  3. Cantonese

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

Chinese is the official language of China, but there are many different dialects of Chinese spoken throughout the country.

Multiple choice

Which language is spoken by the largest number of people in the world?

  1. Mandarin

  2. Spanish

  3. English

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

Mandarin is spoken by over 1.1 billion people worldwide, making it the most widely spoken language.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of Brazil?

  1. Portuguese

  2. Spanish

  3. French

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

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, spoken by over 200 million people.

Multiple choice

Which language is primarily used on social media in Afghanistan?

  1. Dari

  2. Pashto

  3. Uzbek

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

Dari is the primary language used on social media in Afghanistan, due to its large population of speakers and its status as the official language of the country.

Multiple choice

How many regional languages are recognized by the ICCR?

  1. 12

  2. 15

  3. 18

  4. 21

  5. 24
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The ICCR recognizes 18 regional languages.

Multiple choice

How many official languages does the United Nations have?

  1. 5

  2. 6

  3. 7

  4. 8
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The United Nations has 6 official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.