Q 01/05

Which is the only Central American country where English is the official language?

A) Honduras

B) Belize

C) Panama

D) Costa Rica

Answer · why

B) Belize

Belize's English reflects its history as the British colony of British Honduras, which became independent only in 1981.

Q 02/05

Which language has the most native (first-language) speakers in the world?

A) Mandarin

B) Spanish

C) Portuguese

D) Punjabi

Answer · why

A) Mandarin

Mandarin as spoken around Beijing became the basis of the standard language China adopted as its national language in the early 20th century.

Q 03/05

At India's 2011 census, which language ranked second by number of speakers?

A) Tamil

B) Bengali

C) Marathi

D) Urdu

Answer · why

B) Bengali

Bengali speakers' 1952 protests for their language in East Pakistan are why UNESCO made 21 February International Mother Language Day.

Q 04/05

Which country, home to hundreds of living languages, is the most linguistically diverse on Earth?

A) Solomon Islands

B) Indonesia

C) Papua New Guinea

D) South Africa

Answer · why

C) Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea's many small language groups often rely on English or Tok Pisin, a pidgin that is one of its official languages, as common tongues.

Q 05/05

Which language of the western Pyrenees is Europe's only known language isolate?

A) Hungarian

B) Maltese

C) Albanian

D) Basque

Answer · why

D) Basque

Basque was banned from public life and schools in Franco's Spain, yet Basque-medium schools spread across the region once democracy returned after 197...