Geography
The Spatial Patterns of Language Extinction in Remote Mountain Regions
Quick fact
In the Himalayas, languages spoken at higher elevations often survive longer than those in valleys, where dominant national languages encroach first via roads and markets.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever wondered why the last speakers of a language often live in the most remote mountains? Why does language loss spread like a wave across the landscape, leaving only isolated pockets of speech high in the peaks?