Geolinguistics is the study of language in geographical and cultural contexts, including the relationships between language, culture, and geography. Synonyms for geolinguistics include linguistic geography, linguistic cartography, ethno-linguistics, language geography, geography of language, language mapping, linguistic landscape, and language area studies. These terms refer to different aspects of the study of language in relation to its wider cultural, social, and political context. In general, geolinguistics seeks to answer questions about the way people use language in different parts of the world, how languages evolve and are influenced by their surroundings, and how language affects and is affected by cultural identity and diversity.