English is recognized as the official language in 67 states, as well as in 27 non-sovereign entities. In large political communities on a global scale, such as NATO, the UN, the European Union, negotiations are conducted exclusively in English. In this regard, every famous politician speaks perfect English. Ordinary citizens also speak it.
A little history. English comes from Great Britain. In the 18th – 19th centuries, this state expanded its territorial borders and spaces. In this regard, in all former British colonies today they speak English: the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and many others.
Given a list of English-speaking states, all of them can be divided into three large groups:
- those in which it is recognized as the only official language;
- those in which, in addition to English, other official languages are also established;
- those in which English is spoken everywhere, but is not considered an official language.
The leading place undoubtedly belongs to the UK and the USA. Here they squeal in English almost from the cradle. In the UK, the number of English-speaking residents is 60 million, and in the USA - as much as 230 million.
Canada deservesly ranks third. There are 20 million English-speaking Aboriginal people here. Fourth place is given to Australia, there are 17 million citizens. Speaking about Australia, one cannot help but say that English is the only language there, but for some reason it is never recognized as an official language for unknown reasons.
Well-known English-speaking countries include: South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland. The total population of these states exceeds 13 million. Here is a list of other countries where people coo in English:
- Malta;
- India;
- Pakistan;
- Papua New Guinea;
- Hong Kong;
- Puerto Rico;
- Philippines;
- Singapore;
- Malaysia;
- Bermuda;
- and many, many others.
As you can see, they are all scattered on different sides of the planet and there are a huge number of them. In general, one conclusion suggests itself - friends, learn English.
Countries where English is the official language:
- Australia;
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Bahamas, (Bahamas, The);
- Barbados;
- Belize;
- Botswana;
- Vanuatu;
- Great Britain (United Kingdom);
- Guyana;
- The Gambia;
- Ghana;
- Grenada;
- Dominica;
- Zambia;
- Zimbabwe;
- India;
- Ireland;
- Cameroon;
- Canada;
- Kenya;
- Kiribati;
- Kingdom of the Netherlands;
- Lesotho;
- Liberia;
- Mauritius (Mauritius);
- Malawi;
- Malta;
- Marshall Islands;
- Namibia;
- Nauru;
- Nigeria;
- New Zealand;
- Pakistan;
- Palau;
- Papua New Guinea;
- Rwanda;
- Samoa;
- Swaziland;
- Seychelles;
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Saint Kitts and Nevis;
- Saint Lucia;
- Singapore;
- United States;
- Solomon Islands;
- Sudan;
- Sierra Leone;
- Tanzania;
- Tonga;
- Trinidad and Tobago;
- Tuvalu;
- Uganda;
- Federated States of Micronesia;
- Fiji;
- Philippines;
- Eritrea;
- Ethiopia;
- South Africa;
- South Sudan;
- Jamaica.
Non-state entities where English is spoken:
- American Samoa;
- Anguilla;
- Bermuda;
- British Virgin Islands;
- US Virgin Islands;
- Gibraltar;
- Hong Kong;
- Guam;
- Guernsey (Guernsey);
- Jersey;
- Cayman Islands;
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands;
- Montserrat;
- Niue;
- Isle of Man;
- Norfolk Island;
- Christmas Island;
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha;
- Cook Islands;
- Pitcairn Islands;
- Turks and Caicos Islands;
- Puerto Rico;
- San Andres y Providencia(San Andres y Providencia);
- Northern Mariana Island;
- Sint Maarten;
- Somaliland;
- Tokelau;
- Falkland Islands.
- Great Britain;
- Australia;
- Canada;
- India;
- Ireland;
- Philippines;
- South Africa and others.
First of all, English is the official language in the United States of America (although it has its own American dialect, slightly different from classical English), in Great Britain (mainly in England, although English is also used in Wales or Scotland), in Australia and in Canada ( but in Canada, French is spoken in many regions). Also, English is the official language in many countries that were formerly colonial territories of England (for example, in some regions of India).
If you need the entire list of countries, then look at Wikipedia:
(the required page is open).
I will list the most famous countries where English. language - official:
- Australia;
- India;
- England;
- Nigeria;
- Canada;
- Pakistan
- and others.
On the world map it looks like this (such countries are indicated in green):
As you can see, almost all residents of North America and Australia speak English, as well as a significant part of Africa, but in Eurasia and South America the situation is completely different.
The English language has spread widely throughout the world from its historical homeland - the kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Colonial official language English is spoken in the USA (formally only in 31 states), Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana and many island mini-states of Middle America as members of the British Commonwealth.
The English colonial legacy is felt quite strongly in many countries in Asia and Africa. English (along with Hindi) is one of the official languages of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Maldives, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon (along with French), Sudan and South Sudan , South Africa (along with Zulu and Dutch), Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malta (along with Maltese). English is not a native language there, but is taught in depth.
Great Britain, Australia, Guyana, Ghana, Guernsey, Grenada, Jersey, Dominica, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India (along with Hindi and 21 other languages), Ireland (along with Irish),
Cameroon (along with French), Canada
English is the official language in more than fifty countries (states) of the world. There are also countries in which English is one of the official languages (two or more languages).
In addition, it (English) is spoken in many countries, even if this language is not recognized as an official language in them.
Now let's get back to which countries have English as their official language.
First of all, these are large states/countries such as Great Britain, Australia and the USA.
English is also the official language in the following countries:
According to recent research, 65 countries and territories around the world have chosen English as their official language. Most of these countries are located in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
By the way, not everyone knows, but, for example, in the USA English is not an official language. For example, in the Hawaiian Islands, all paperwork is conducted in Hawaiian, and in Puerto Rico and New Mexico - in Spanish.
Of the 65 countries and territories that have made English their official language, only 35 of them have English as the only official language: Anguilla (territory, not a country), then:
And now a list of countries and territories where English is one of two or more official languages:
Here is a complete list of countries where foreign English is recognized as an official language:
And these are all sovereign states. There are also a number of non-sovereign entities where English is also the official language. But there are quite a few of them compared to the number listed above.
The English language originates from Great Britain, but over the years of its existence it has been able to spread widely throughout various countries of the world. Moreover, English is considered the most popular and in demand language. English is spoken by many peoples. And it has official status in the following countries of the world:
If you are only interested in countries, here is a list of them:
The largest territory is, of course, occupied by North America, then Australia, a third of Africa, just a little bit of Europe and Asia and many islands.
In addition, there are English-speaking people in non-sovereign objects.
There are many countries in which English is the official language.
English is considered a common language in the world. Nm is spoken by many peoples, as well as people of countries where another official language is considered, but who are significant in society.
Countries with official English include:
Where, who and how speaks English.
Countries with a predominant world language.
English has long been the main world language, especially for business communication (as in the UN and EU). It is widely used in at least 10 countries, reflecting British cultural heritage. Geographically, it is mainly the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean coast. It is the native language of half a billion earthlings (3rd or 4th in the world, along with Spanish) and the second language of one and a half billion. In terms of the number of speakers, English is second only to Chinese. Among young people, English is almost universally accepted as an important academic, employment and immigration advantage.
State English
English is the official language of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Great Britain) as a historical mother tongue. Celtic speech is preserved only among the rural population of mountainous Wales (Welsh) and insular Scotland (Scottish).
It acts as a colonial state in the United States of America (formally in 31 US states), Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia (Australia), New Zealand, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guyana and many Central American island mini-states as members of the British Commonwealth.
The Canadian province of Quebec is bilingual - local Francophones formally recognize English. The Aborigines of inland Australia retain their native speech. Middle American Creole English has Spanish, French influences, and a strong African accent.
Official English
The English colonial legacy is strongly felt in a number of countries in Asia and Africa. English is 1 of 2-3 official languages of India (along with Hindi), Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Maldives, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon (along with French), Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa (along with Dutch and Zulu), Belize, Malta (along with Maltese) and Ireland (along with Gaelic). English there (except for the last 2 countries) is a non-native language, although it is taught in depth.
Indo-English is one of the largest languages in the world in terms of number of speakers. It is divided into dialects, the most important of which are:
- Hinglish (dialect of Hindi speakers)
- Punjabi English
- Assamese English
- Tamil English
Liberia is an artificial state of freed black US slaves who moved to West Africa for nostalgic reasons.
English in Ireland and Malta is a second native language along with the local one. Irish authorities promote Gaelic as a return to Celtic roots. In fact, but not formally, it is the same in Cyprus as another former Euro-colony of Great Britain. These 3 countries specialize in literary English courses, offering reasonable prices and a cultural experience.
English Joke
“Oh, have you heard? Mrs. Blount died to-day while trying on a new dress."
“How sad! What was it trimmed with?”
How many English-speaking countries are there currently on Earth? Find out in this article!
Countries where English is spoken.
Hello friends! Indeed, when you come to completely different countries located in opposite directions of the world, you hear English spoken everywhere. English has become an international means of communication; everyone, young and old, is trying to learn it; its knowledge has come to be considered the standard of a literate, competent person. However, English is not considered the most widely spoken language in the world. It is in 2nd place and inferior to the Chinese language, or rather its dialect “Mandarin”. But we can still say with confidence that the victorious march of the English language across the planet is marching at a solemn pace and is not yet going to get tired or stop.
English-speaking countries in the world.
It all started with those countries that later began to be called English-speaking. This is the name given to a country where English is recognized as the official state language. There are more than 80 of them in the world. Surprisingly, these countries cover the entire geography of the globe. Where are the countries where English is spoken?
- They are in Asia. The largest English-speaking countries there are India, Pakistan, the Philippines and others.
- In Africa. These are Tanzania, Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and many other countries.
- In Europe. English-speaking Malta, Jersey, etc. are located here.
- In America. English is spoken in Jamaica, Grenada, Barbados and other countries.
- In Oceania. Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and others are considered English-speaking.
This is, of course, a very short list. But did you notice the peculiarity? An observant person who knows and loves history will immediately understand what is going on. Most of the countries listed are former colonies of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. After all, starting from the 18th century, England tried to develop its influence on all the conquered countries. And this influence was not only economic or military, but also cultural and scientific.
Despite the fact that in most countries English is considered the official language, only a small number of people know and speak it compared to the entire population of the country. Typically, these are people who live in large cities and have received a fairly good education or are associated with the tourism business.
And yet, English is rightfully considered the most common language. This is due, first of all, to the fact that it is considered the most taught in the world. Every day it is taught by a huge number of people, and not only in English-speaking countries. English is a true leader among other languages in the world of big politics and business. It has become a means of international communication on the Internet, and it is in this language that most of the world's information is stored.
English is the second most spoken language in the world. It was surpassed only by the Mandarin dialect of Chinese, and only because China surpasses all the powers in the world in terms of population. In different countries in different parts of the world you can hear English spoken. Most of them are English-speaking countries, a list of which will be presented in this article.
Language of the world
We can safely say that English has conquered the whole world. It is the language of international communication, politics, business, tourism, science, better education and many other areas of human life. It is the most taught throughout the world, and not just in countries where it is considered state. Since the 18th century, the native language of Great Britain has spread around the world along with its speakers, who explored and captured new territories, expanding their military, economic and cultural influence on them. Therefore, many modern English-speaking countries are former British colonies. The times of active expansion are long gone, but English has firmly established itself in these states, coexisting peacefully with the indigenous languages of the local residents. Anglophone, or English-speaking, countries are so called due to the fact that this language is one of the official or predominant languages in them. In addition to the sovereign states that will be represented on the list, there is also a considerable list of objects and territories that are dependent on other powers, in which English also predominates.
Europe and America
English in Europe is the official language of the United Kingdom, which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as Canada, Ireland, and Malta. Although these countries have other official languages, English remains the dominant language, it is the language used to make laws, it is spoken in government, and it is the language used for most education. In general, it prevails in all major areas of life. In the United States, it is the official language of 31 states, but it predominates in all of them, both in the field of record keeping and at the everyday level. English is spoken in North American countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Other English-speaking countries in America are Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize, and Guyana.
Extensive geography
Australia is a country where, in principle, there is no official language, but English is de facto one. Other English-speaking countries in Oceania: New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga and other small island states.
In Asia, besides India and the Philippines, Pakistan and Singapore are also English-speaking countries. English is also spoken in many African countries. These are South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and some others. Despite the official status of English in many of the listed countries, only a small number of citizens know it and speak it fluently. These are residents of large cities, well-educated people and those who are directly involved in the tourism business, such as service personnel. This is especially true for resort and island countries.