Spain Languages

Citizens of Spain speak a number of languages but Spanish (or Castilian) is the country’s official language. This Romance language originated in the Castile region of the nation and is one of the Ibero-Romance languages. Some 75% of modern Spanish is derived from Latin. The Spanish alphabet consists of twenty seven letters which includes the letters of the English alphabet with the addition of the letter ñ. Besides Spanish, various geographical areas in the country are home to a variety of languages which share the status of regional official language. Differing dialects are also prevalent and vary from place to place. Common local dialects throughout Spain include Fala Cantabrian, Extremaduran, Eonavian, and Benasquese,

In terms of language demographics an overwhelming 99% of the nation’s population speaks Spanish either as their first or second language. Other major languages spoken in the country include Catalan (or Valencian) which is spoken by 17% of the people, Galician by 7%, and Basque by 2% of residents. Languages afforded co- official status in the country include Aranese, Basque, Catalan, and Galician.

Some useful phrases in Spanish include the casual “¿Cómo te llamas?” or a more formal “¿Cómo se llama Usted?” which is used when inquiring as to someone’s name. Hello is simply, “¡Hola!” while “where are you from” can be communicated with, “¿De dónde eres?” or the more formal, “¿De dónde es usted?”. A wish for a good morning is “Buenos días” with “Buenas tardes” used in the afternoon and “Buenas noches” at night.

Regional languages spoken in Spain include Basque, Catalan, Balearic, Galician and Occitan as well as other recognized languages such as Aragonese and Asturian. Other minority languages in the country include Cantabrian, Extremaduran, Eonavian, Fala, Portuguese, Iberian Romani, and Riffian Berber. Due to immigration Spain is home to many foreign speakers whose first languages include Arabic, Romanian, English, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Russian.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Madrid
Languages	Castilian Spanish (official nationwide) 74%, Catalan (official in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (where it is known as Valencian)) 17%, Galician (official in Galicia) 7%, Basque (official in the Basque Country and in the Basque-speaking area of Navarre) 2%, Aranese (official in the northwest corner of Catalonia (Vall d'Aran) along with Catalan; <5,000 speakers)
Ethnic Groups	Composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Religion	Roman Catholic 67.8%, atheist 9.1%, other 2.2%, non-believer 18.4%, unspecified 2.5% (2016 est.)
Government	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Independance	1492; the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Area	505,370.00 km²
Water Area	6,390.00 km²
Land Area	498,980.00 km²
Population	48,563,476.00 With the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; dense settlement is found around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona
Location	Southwestern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and Pyrenees Mountains; southwest of France
No. Bordering Countries	5
Bordering Countries	Andorra 63 km, France 646 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,224 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 8 km, Morocco (Melilla) 10.5 km
GDP(PPP)	$1,690,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$36,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are France, Germany, and Italy.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are machinery, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, France, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, fuels, and chemicals.
Climate	Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain	Large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees Mountains in north
Learn More	Spain

Spain Languages

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