I have learned playing the violin, informally known as fiddle,  when i was in high school. It is very entertaining activity
Was the violin part of the official school curriculum? Is it usually played as part of a larger band or on it's own?
No, my parents wanted to me learn to play at one instrument. And I decided to go with violin. It typically has four strings tuned. Thus, it is easier to learn
Did you enjoy learning the violin?
At first it was a hard and I just needed more practice. There were smaller violin-type instruments which somewhat soothed my difficulties
How many different violin type instruments are there?
I am not really sure. But I know that most violins have a hollow wooden body
What qualifies an instrument as a violin and not as something else like a cello?
Cello is a member of violin family too with four strings tuned. I think when considering the main purpose, there is no difference in between two except the type of sounds they make
Ah interesting. What are well known pieces of music that feature the violin?