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 status of English in the Maldives?

  1. Official Language

  2. Second Official Language

  3. Widely Spoken

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

English is widely spoken in the Maldives, especially in the tourism and business sectors, but it is not an official language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a pidgin language?

  1. Tok Pisin

  2. Esperanto

  3. Latin

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

Tok Pisin is a pidgin language that is spoken in Papua New Guinea.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a creole language?

  1. Haitian Creole

  2. Jamaican Patois

  3. Tok Pisin

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

Haitian Creole is a creole language that is spoken in Haiti.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a diglossic situation?

  1. The use of Standard English and African American Vernacular English in the United States

  2. The use of Mandarin and Cantonese in China

  3. The use of French and English in Canada

  4. The use of Spanish and Quechua in Peru
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The use of Standard English and African American Vernacular English in the United States is an example of a diglossic situation.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a language maintenance effort?

  1. The use of Irish in schools in Ireland

  2. The use of Maori in schools in New Zealand

  3. The use of Navajo in schools in the United States

  4. The use of Quechua in schools in Peru
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The use of Irish in schools in Ireland is an example of a language maintenance effort.

Multiple choice

Which language is primarily used in radio broadcasting in Afghanistan?

  1. Dari

  2. Pashto

  3. Uzbek

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

Dari, also known as Afghan Persian, is the primary language used in radio broadcasting in Afghanistan, along with Pashto.

Multiple choice

What is the official language used in radio broadcasting in Afghanistan?

  1. Dari

  2. Pashto

  3. Uzbek

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

Dari, also known as Afghan Persian, is the official language of Afghanistan and is used in radio broadcasting.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries?

  1. Mandarin

  2. Hindi

  3. English

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

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries.

Multiple choice

Which language is the second most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries?

  1. Hindi

  2. English

  3. Japanese

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

Hindi is the second most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries.

Multiple choice

Which language is the third most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries?

  1. English

  2. Japanese

  3. Indonesian

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

English is the third most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fourth most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries?

  1. Japanese

  2. Indonesian

  3. Bengali

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

Japanese is the fourth most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries.

Multiple choice

Which language is the fifth most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries?

  1. Indonesian

  2. Bengali

  3. Tagalog

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

Indonesian is the fifth most widely spoken language in the ADB's developing member countries.

Multiple choice

Which West Indian language is spoken by the largest number of people?

  1. English

  2. Spanish

  3. French

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

English is the most widely spoken West Indian language, with over 20 million speakers.

Multiple choice

What is the official language of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)?

  1. English

  2. Spanish

  3. French

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

English is the official language of CARICOM, which is a regional organization of Caribbean countries.

Multiple choice

Which West Indian language is spoken in Haiti?

  1. English

  2. Spanish

  3. French

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

French is the official language of Haiti, which is a Caribbean country.