The following is a list of
sovereign stateA sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
s and territories where
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is an
officialAn official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
or language of government.
In many countries English is the dominant language, but does not have official status. In
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, English is spoken by the vast majority of the population and is the only language used in
governmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
institutions, yet Australia does not have an official language. The case is the same in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though many states and regions within the U.S. do have English as an official language. English is the official language of
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
along with
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. English is the sole official language of the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and the
Commonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations,
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
Many of these countries are current or former colonies or dependencies of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(see also
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
), or of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Notable exceptions include
RwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
which was a former
BelgianBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
colony as well as
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and
EritreaEritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
.
India's linguistic picture is complex. According to the
Constitution of IndiaThe Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
, "
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
in the
DevanagariDevanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
script" is the official language of the union and English the 'subsidiary official language'; however, English is mandated for the authoritative texts of all federal laws and Supreme Court decisions, and (along with
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
) is one of the two languages of the Indian Parliament. English is used almost exclusively for all higher education, business and science. All school courses are taught in English. English is extensively used for administrative purposes in India. India is the 2nd largest English-speaking country in the world by population next to U.S.A. As such, many consider English to be the
de facto official language of India. See Official languages of India.
The linguistic makeup of
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
is similarly complex. While the national language is
UrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, English is an official language and used in business, government, and law. English is a compulsory language in schools. All school courses are taught in English.
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
is the 9th largest English-speaking country in the world by population.
Majority English-speaking countries
Additional major English-speaking countries can also be found in the Caribbean and Pacific. Former American and British colonies include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belau, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Federation of Micronesia, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Jamaica, Johnston, Montserrat, Northern Marianas, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. Though these islands are small, they are culturally and linguistically tied to the UK or USA.
A number of countries use English as an official language as a unifying force despite the influence of major local languages in countries such as Botswana, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya, India, Hong Kong, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. English may also be a widely-used unofficial language, as is the case in Bangladesh.
Sovereign states
Countries where English is a de jureDe jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
/official languageAn official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
Country |
Region |
|
 Barbados |
Caribbean |
294,000 |
 Belize |
Central America / Caribbean |
288,000 |
 Botswana |
Africa |
1,882,000 |
 Cameroon |
Africa |
18,549,000 |
 Canada |
North America |
33,531,000 |
 Dominica |
Caribbean |
73,000 |
 Ethiopia |
Africa |
82,101,998 |
 Eritrea |
Africa |
5,224,000 |
 Fiji |
Oceania |
827,900 |
 The Gambia |
Africa |
1,709,000 |
 Ghana |
Africa |
23,478,000 |
 Grenada |
Caribbean |
106,000 |
 Guyana |
South America / Caribbean |
738,000 |
 India |
Asia |
1,143,540,000 |
 Republic of Ireland |
Europe |
4,581,269 |
 Jamaica |
Caribbean |
2,714,000 |
 Kenya |
Africa |
37,538,000 |
 Kiribati |
Oceania |
95,000 |
 Lesotho |
Africa |
2,008,000 |
 Liberia |
Africa |
3,750,000 |
 Malawi |
Africa |
13,925,000 |
 Malta |
Europe |
412,600 |
 Marshall Islands |
Oceania |
59,000 |
 Mauritius |
Africa / Indian Ocean |
1,262,000 |
 Federated States of Micronesia |
Oceania |
111,000 |
 Namibia |
Africa |
2,074,000 |
 Nauru |
Oceania |
10,000 |
 Nigeria |
Africa |
148,093,000 |
 Pakistan |
Asia |
165,449,000 |
 Palau |
Oceania |
20,000 |
 Papua New Guinea |
Oceania |
6,331,000 |
 Philippines |
Asia |
90,457,200 |
 Rwanda |
Africa |
9,725,000 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Caribbean |
50,000 |
 Saint Lucia |
Caribbean |
165,000 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Caribbean |
120,000 |
 Samoa |
Oceania |
188,359 |
 Seychelles |
Africa / Indian Ocean |
87,000 |
 Sierra Leone |
Africa |
5,866,000 |
 Singapore |
Asia |
4,839,400 |
 Solomon Islands |
Oceania |
506,992 |
 South Africa |
Africa |
47,850,700 |
| |
Africa |
8,260,490 |
 Sudan |
Africa |
31,894,000 |
 Swaziland |
Africa |
1,141,000 |
 Tanzania |
Africa |
40,454,000 |
 Tonga |
Oceania |
100,000 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
Caribbean |
1,333,000 |
 Tuvalu |
Oceania |
11,000 |
 Uganda |
Africa |
30,884,000 |
 Vanuatu |
Oceania |
226,000 |
 Zambia |
Africa |
11,922,000 |
 Zimbabwe |
Africa |
13,349,000 |
Countries where English is the de factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
language
| Country |
Region |
|
 Antigua and Barbuda |
Caribbean |
85,000 |
 Australia |
Australia |
22,374,370 |
| |
Caribbean |
331,000 |
 New Zealand |
Oceania |
4,294,350 |
 United Kingdom |
Europe |
61,612,300 |
 United States |
North America |
309,442,000 |
Non-sovereign entities
| Entity |
Region |
|
 American Samoa |
Oceania |
67,000 |
 Anguilla |
Caribbean |
13,000 |
 Bermuda |
North America |
65,000 |
 British Virgin Islands |
Caribbean |
23,000 |
 Cayman Islands |
Caribbean |
47,000 |
 Christmas Island |
Australia |
1,508 |
 Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
Australia |
596 |
 Cook Islands |
Oceania |
20,200 |
 Falkland Islands |
South Atlantic |
3,000 |
 Gibraltar |
Europe |
29,257 |
 Guam |
Oceania |
173,000 |
 Guernsey |
Europe |
61,811 |
 Hong Kong |
Asia |
7,097,600 |
 Isle of Man |
Europe |
80,058 |
 Jersey |
Europe |
89,300 |
 Montserrat |
Caribbean |
5,900 |
 Niue |
Oceania |
1,600 |
 Norfolk Island |
Australia |
1,828 |
 Northern Mariana Islands |
Oceania |
84,000 |
 Pitcairn Islands |
Oceania |
50 |
 Puerto Rico |
Caribbean |
3,991,000 |
| |
South Atlantic |
5,660 |
 Sint Maarten |
Caribbean |
40,900 |
 Somaliland |
Africa |
3,500,000 |
 Tokelau |
Oceania |
1,400 |
 Turks and Caicos Islands |
Caribbean |
26,000 |
 United States Virgin Islands |
Caribbean |
111,000 |
Map of English Status
See also
- Anglo-America
Anglo-America is a region in the Americas in which English is a main language, or one which has significant British historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural links...
- Anglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
- Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
- British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
- List of countries by English-speaking population
Footnotes
- The population figures are based on the sources in List of countries by population, with information as of 23 January 2009 (UN estimates, et al.)
- Hong Kong is a former British Crown Colony (1843-1981) and British Dependent Territory
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
(1981-1997); it is currently a special administrative region of the People's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(1997- present)
- Puerto Rico is, historically and geographically, connected to the Spanish
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
; Spanish is the main language of the majority of Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated United States territory referred to as a "CommonwealthIn the terminology of the United States insular areas, a Commonwealth is a type of organized but unincorporated dependent territory.The definition of "Commonwealth" according to current U.S. State Department policy reads: "The term 'Commonwealth' does not describe or provide for any specific...
"
- Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States
- The US Virgin Islands is an insular area of the United States
An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States...
- Jersey is a British Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
- The Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
in political unionA political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity...
with the United States
- Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
- Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom
- Guernsey is a British Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
- American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory
- Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Pitcairn Islands is a British overseas territory
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...