225. In which other country is there a large German-speaking population?

Answer options

1. Czech Republic
2. Norway
3. Spain
4. Austria

Explanation

Austria belongs, alongside Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, to the German linguistic area; under Art. 8(1) of the Austrian Federal Constitutional Law (B-VG), German is the state language, reflecting a large German-speaking population. Historically, sizable German minorities existed in Bohemia and Moravia (the Sudeten Germans), but they were largely expelled after 1945 under the Beneš Decrees; Norway and Spain host only small communities. In constitutional terms, Germany’s Basic Law (Art. 116 GG) defines citizenship by legal status rather than by language, so the linguistic community and the body of citizens do not necessarily coincide.