Geography ยท 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

Which language is spoken by the majority of the population 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 official language of Afghanistan and is spoken by the majority of the population.

Multiple choice

Which language is the most widely spoken in the world?

  1. English

  2. Mandarin Chinese

  3. Spanish

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

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world, with over 1.1 billion native speakers.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Austroasiatic languages is spoken in Taiwan?

  1. Vietnamese

  2. Khmer

  3. Mon

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

Atayal is an Austronesian language spoken in Taiwan. It is not an Austroasiatic language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Austroasiatic languages is spoken in the Philippines?

  1. Vietnamese

  2. Khmer

  3. Mon

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

Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines. It is not an Austroasiatic language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Austroasiatic languages is spoken in Indonesia?

  1. Vietnamese

  2. Khmer

  3. Mon

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

Bahasa Indonesia is an Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia. It is not an Austroasiatic language.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Austroasiatic languages is spoken in Malaysia?

  1. Vietnamese

  2. Khmer

  3. Mon

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

Malay is an Austronesian language spoken in Malaysia. It is not an Austroasiatic language.

Multiple choice

What is the traditional language of a haiku?

  1. Japanese

  2. English

  3. Chinese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The traditional language of a haiku is Japanese, although haikus can also be written in other languages.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is commonly spoken in the southern region of Laos?

  1. Hindi

  2. Punjabi

  3. Tamil

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

Tamil is the predominant language spoken by the Indian diaspora in the southern region of Laos. It is particularly prevalent among the Tamil community, which has a long history of migration to this region.

Multiple choice

Which Indian language is commonly used in business and trade activities among the Indian diaspora in Laos?

  1. Hindi

  2. Punjabi

  3. Tamil

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

Gujarati is the primary language used in business and trade activities among the Indian diaspora in Laos. It is particularly prevalent among the Gujarati community, which has a strong presence in the business sector.

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 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.