This is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Map of Endangered Languages by Country. The darker the color on this map, the more endangered languages are present in that nation. The United States has 191 endangered languages, which trails only India at 197. UNESCO notes, “Countries with the greatest linguistic diversity are typically also the ones with the most endangered languages.”

What are some of the potential consequences of a language becoming extinct in terms of both the specific community who speaks the language and a larger global perspective?

UNESCO