Youngest language

The youngest language in the world is Afrikaans, spoken by South Africans. Dutch and German Protestants fled persecution from the Roman Catholic Church in the 17th and 18th century to settle in the Dutch colony of Cape of Good Hope on the southern point of Africa. By the early-20th century Afrikaans had developed from Dutch, German and other influences into a fully fledged language with its own dictionaries. After a mere 100 years, it is the second most spoken language in South Africa (Zulu being the most spoken, the Zulu people being the largest ethnic group there).

New languages develop as different cultures meet and mix. For instance, about 700 different languages are spoken in London. In some suburbs of the London, English is now a second language. The same is happening - or has taken place - in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Singapore. Already the Internet and mobile phone texting are influencing the development of languages as people communicate freely across cultural and regional borders. In fact, the fastest growing language in the world is Nerdic, the language of technology and gadgets.

The smallest country in the world is the Vatican. It also is the only country where Latin is the official language.

Somalia is the only country in the world where all the citizens speak one language, Somali.

The Berbers of North Africa have no written form of their language.