It is no secret to anyone that English is recognized as an international and universal language of communication. It is ideal in cases where two people from different parts of the world need to understand each other. Interestingly, there are countries where English is the second or third official language. Have you ever wondered in how many countries English is the official language? Let's get it right.
Such common English
Today, English confidently takes the second place among the most common languages. It is spoken by about one billion people. Scientists claim that this is 1/5 of the total population of the Earth. Moreover, this number also includes those for whom English is not a native language. This category of people speaks it along with their native or even several other foreign languages.
If we are talking about those for whom talking in English from birth is the norm, then there are just over four hundred thousand million of them in the world. An impressive figure, isn't it? But in which countries is the official language English? Let's try to find out.
Countries in which English is official: a brief description and the total number
If we consider countries where it is customary to speak English, then it is imperative to take into account several nuances:
- First of all, countries can be sovereign states and non-sovereign objects.
- In addition to these categories, there are a number of territories where English is the second or even third official language.
- In addition, states are included in the general list where there simply is no official language, but the majority of the population is fluent in English.
- It is interesting that in some regions there is such a thing as a “working language”, and most often it is English.
Based on all of the above, it is safe to say that countries where English is official are extremely numerous. And this is not surprising, given the fact that we are talking about the second most common language in the world. According to the latest data (given sovereign and non-sovereign territories), there are more than eighty such countries. This includes the United States, Great Britain, Seychelles, Malta, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines and many other states. Within the framework of the article, we will not be able to mention all, but we will tell you about the most interesting ones with pleasure.
Australian Union: A State Without an Official Language
Of course, if we are interested in countries where English is official, then we are not quite entitled to rank Australia here. Indeed, the state language is not established here at the legislative level. But almost all Australians are fluent in English, and that is where all the documentation in the country is kept.
This is due to the fact that for a long time Australia was in colonial dependence on the British crown. In addition, a large number of British people at one time moved to these amazing lands from the UK.
Over time, immigrants from different countries, speaking mainly English, created a special dialect, which they now call it - Australian English.
India: country with the most official languages registered
If we are talking about countries in which English is official, then India occupies a special place among them.The fact is that the population of this state speaks more than four hundred languages and dialects. Due to the need to indicate the official language, this fact caused some difficulties for the Government of India. Therefore, a special scheme was invented that is not found in any other country in the world. The constitution indicates that Hindi and English receive the status of official languages. But besides this, a list is added to the main document of India, indicating twenty-two more official languages in which business can be conducted in the country and official papers can be drawn up (including legislative acts being issued).
Botswana: Official and National Language
Botswana is a country where a large number of different nationalities coexist, each of which has its own language. On average, there are about thirty different languages in the country, however, according to unofficial data, about fifty more dialects can be safely added to them.
Interestingly, the people of Botswana themselves clearly distinguish between the official language and the national one. Tswana belongs to the latter; more than one million Botswans speak it. But English, which is spoken by only about four thousand local residents, has official status. Surprisingly, it was this fact that served as the primary reason that the written language in the country is based on the Latin alphabet. Although no more than sixty percent of the population consider themselves literate.
Be that as it may, but in the list, which form the countries where English is official, you can safely include Botswana. Indeed, at the legislative level, the great language of Shakespeare is fixed here.
Timor Leste: official and working languages
East Timor is located in Southeast Asia. The population of the country exceeds 1,000,000 people. Throughout its history, the state has been under the protectorate of Portugal and Indonesia. And only fifteen years ago received the long-awaited independence.
This fact seriously affected the development of East Timor as a state, as well as the formation of official languages. Now in the country the Portuguese language and Tetum have this status. In addition, the large local population is actively spoken in indigenous dialects and dialects. You ask: "And where is English in this system?" It occupies a special place. The fact is that in East Timor there is such a thing as a "working language." It can be described as the language in which business negotiations, paperwork and processing of large volumes of information are conducted. So, in East Timor, English and Indonesian are such languages.
As you can see from our article, the countries in which English is official are quite diverse. They have different cultural traditions and the level of economic development, but they all have one thing in common. Together they create the Anglo-Sphere - a collection of English-speaking countries that have a certain community of cultural traditions formed under the influence of Great Britain.