Do you know what language is spoken in Belize? Look at this chart to find the answer to that question and what languages many other different countries speak.

Grades:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

The table below lists the official language of each country as well as other languages spoken. In selected countries, the percent of the population that speaks each language is also given.

Afghanistan Dari Persian, Pashtu (both official), other Turkic and minor languages
Albania Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Algeria Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Andorra Catalán (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
Angola Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Antigua and Barbuda English (official), local dialects
Argentina Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Armenia Armenian 98%, Yezidi, Russian
Australia English 79%, native and other languages
Austria German (official nationwide); Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian (each official in one region)
Azerbaijan Azerbaijani Turkic 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.)
Bahamas English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Bahrain Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Bangladesh Bangla (official), English
Barbados English
Belarus Belorussian (White Russian), Russian, other
Belgium Dutch (Flemish) 60%, French 40%, German less than 1% (all official)
Belize English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole
Benin French (official), Fon, Yoruba, tribal languages
Bhutan Dzongkha (official), Tibetan dialects (among Bhotes), Nepalese dialects (among Nepalese)
Bolivia Spanish, Quechua, Aymara (all official)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Botswana English 2% (official), Setswana 78%, Kalanga 8%, Sekgalagadi 3%, other (2001)
Brazil Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Brunei Malay (official), English, Chinese
Bulgaria Bulgarian 85%, Turkish 10%, Roma 4%
Burkina Faso French (official); native African (Sudanic) languages 90%
Burundi Kirundi and French (official), Swahili
Cambodia Khmer 95% (official), French, English
Cameroon French, English (both official); 24 major African language groups
Canada English 59.3%, French 23.2% (both official); other 17.5%
Cape Verde Portuguese, Criuolo
Central African Republic French (official), Sangho (lingua franca, national), tribal languages
Chad French, Arabic (both official); Sara; more than 120 languages and dialects
Chile Spanish
China Standard Chinese (Mandarin/Putonghua), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Colombia Spanish
Comoros Arabic and French (both official), Shikomoro (Swahili/Arabic blend)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the French (official), Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Congo, Republic of French (official), Lingala, Monokutuba, Kikongo, many local languages and dialects
Costa Rica Spanish (official), English
Côte d'Ivoire French (official) and African languages (Dioula esp.)
Croatia Croatian 96% (official), other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, German)
Cuba Spanish
Cyprus Greek, Turkish (both official); English
Czech Republic Czech
Denmark Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (Inuit dialect), German; English is the predominant second language
Djibouti French and Arabic (both official), Somali, Afar
Dominica English (official) and French patois
Dominican Republic Spanish
East Timor Tetum, Portuguese (official); Bahasa Indonesia, English; other indigenous languages, including Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak
Ecuador Spanish (official), Quechua, other Amerindian languages
Egypt Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
El Salvador Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Equatorial Guinea Spanish, French (both official); pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Eritrea Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Estonia Estonian 67% (official), Russian 30%, other (2000)
Ethiopia Amharic, Tigrigna, Orominga, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, English, over 70 others
Fiji English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Finland Finnish 92%, Swedish 6% (both official); small Sami- (Lapp) and Russian-speaking minorities
France French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Gabon French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Gambia English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
Georgia Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, other 7% (Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia)
Germany German
Ghana English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga)
Greece Greek 99% (official), English, French
Grenada English (official), French patois
Guatemala Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Guinea French (official), native tongues (Malinké, Susu, Fulani)
Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages
Guyana English (official), Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Haiti Creole and French (both official)
Honduras Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects; English widely spoken in business
Hungary Magyar (Hungarian) 94%, other 6%
Iceland Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
India Hindi 30%, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all official); Hindi/Urdu; 1,600+ dialects
Indonesia Bahasa Indonesia (official), English, Dutch, Javanese, and more than 580 other languages and dialects
Iran Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Iraq Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Ireland English, Irish (Gaelic) (both official)
Israel Hebrew (official), Arabic, English
Italy Italian (official); German-, French-, and Slovene-speaking minorities
Jamaica English, Jamaican Creole
Japan Japanese
Jordan Arabic (official), English
Kazakhstan Kazak (Qazaq, state language) 64%; Russian (official, used in everyday business) 95% (2001 est.)
Kenya English (official), Swahili (national), and numerous indigenous languages
Kiribati English (official), I-Kiribati (Gilbertese)
Korea, North Korean
Korea, South Korean, English widely taught
KosovoAlbanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
Kuwait Arabic (official), English
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz, Russian (both official)
Laos Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages
Latvia Latvian 58% (official), Russian 38%, Lithuanian, other (2000)
Lebanon Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Lesotho English, Sesotho (both official); Zulu, Xhosa
Liberia English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic-group languages
Libya Arabic, Italian, and English widely understood in major cities
Liechtenstein German (official), Alemannic dialect
Lithuania Lithuanian 82% (official), Russian 8%, Polish 6% (2001)
Luxembourg Luxermbourgish (national) French, German (both administrative)
Macedonia Macedonian 67%, Albanian 25% (both official); Turkish 4%, Roma 2%, Serbian 1% (2002)
Madagascar Malagasy and French (both official)
Malawi Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998)
Malaysia Bahasa Melayu (Malay, official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; several indigenous languages (including Iban, Kadazan) in East Malaysia
Maldives Maldivian Dhivehi (official); English spoken by most government officials
Mali French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Malta Maltese and English (both official)
Marshall Islands Marshallese 98% (two major dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family), English widely spoken as a second language (both official); Japanese
Mauritania Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Wolof
Mauritius English less than 1% (official), Creole 81%, Bojpoori 12%, French 3% (2000)
Mexico Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages
Micronesia English (official, common), Chukese, Pohnpeian, Yapase, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi
Moldova Moldovan (official; virtually the same as Romanian), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Monaco French (official), English, Italian, Monégasque
Mongolia Mongolian, 90%; also Turkic and Russian (1999)
Serbian/Montenegrin (Ijekavian dialect—official)
Morocco Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often used for business, government, and diplomacy
Mozambique Portuguese 9% (official; second language of 27%), Emakhuwa 26%, Xichangana 11%, Elomwe 8%, Cisena 7%, Echuwabo 6%, other Mozambican languages 32% (1997)
Myanmar Burmese, minority languages
Namibia English 7% (official), Afrikaans is common language of most of the population and of about 60% of the white population, German 32%; indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama
Nauru Nauruan (official), English
Nepal Nepali 48% (official), Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7%, Tharu 6%, Tamang 5%, others. English spoken by many in government and business (2001)
Netherlands Dutch, Frisian (both official)
New Zealand English, Maori (both official)
Nicaragua Spanish 98% (official); English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast (1995)
Niger French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Nigeria English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and more than 200 others
Norway Bokmål Norwegian, Nynorsk Norwegian (both official); small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities (Sami is official in six municipalities)
Oman Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Pakistan Urdu 8%, English (both official); Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, Burushaski, and others 8%
Palau Palauan 64.7%, English 9.4%, Sonsoralese, Tobi, Angaur (each official on some islands), Filipino 13.5%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000)
Palestinian State (proposed) Arabic, Hebrew, English
Panama Spanish (official), English 14%, many bilingual
Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin, the lingua franca), Hiri Motu (in Papua region), English 1%–2%; 715 indigenous languages
Paraguay Spanish, Guaraní (both official)
Peru Spanish, Quéchua (both official); Aymara; many minor Amazonian languages
Philippines Filipino (based on Tagalog), English (both official); eight major dialects: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense
Poland Polish 98% (2002)
Portugal Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)
Qatar Arabic (official); English a common second language
Romania Romanian (official), Hungarian, German
Russia Russian, others
Rwanda Kinyarwanda, French, and English (all official); Kiswahili in commercial centers
St. Kitts and Nevis English
St. Lucia English (official), French patois
St. Vincent and the Grenadines English, French patois
Samoa Samoan, English
San Marino Italian
São Tomé and Príncipe Portuguese (official)
Saudi Arabia Arabic
Senegal French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
SerbiaSerbian (official); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian (official in Kosovo)
Seychelles Seselwa Creole 92%, English 5%, French (all official) (2002)
Sierra Leone English (official), Mende (southern vernacular), Temne (northern vernacular), Krio (lingua franca)
Singapore Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000)
Slovakia Slovak 84% (official), Hungarian 11%, Roma 2%, Ukrainian 1% (2001)
Slovenia Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 5% (2002)
Solomon Islands English 1%–2% (official), Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca), 120 indigenous languages
Somalia Somali (official), Arabic, English, Italian
South Africa IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2%
South Sudan English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants) (official), regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk
Spain Castilian Spanish 74% (official nationwide); Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2% (each official regionally)
Sri Lanka Sinhala 74% (official and national), Tamil 18% (national), other 8%; English is commonly used in government and spoken competently by about 10%
Sudan Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
Suriname Dutch (official), Surinamese (lingua franca), English widely spoken, Hindustani, Javanese
Swaziland English, siSwati (both official)
Sweden Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Switzerland German 64%, French 20%, Italian 7% (all official); Romansch 0.5% (national)
Syria Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Taiwan Chinese (Mandarin, official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Tajikistan Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Tanzania Swahili, English (both official); Arabic; many local languages
Thailand Thai (Siamese), English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Togo French (official, commerce); Ewé, Mina (south); Kabyé, Dagomba (north); and many dialects
Tonga Tongan (an Austronesian language), English
Trinidad and Tobago English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese
Tunisia Arabic (official, commerce), French (commerce)
Turkey Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli, Azeri, Kabardian
Turkmenistan Turkmen 72%; Russian 12%; Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Tuvalu Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Uganda English (official), Ganda or Luganda, other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Ukraine Ukrainian 67%, Russian 24%, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
United Arab Emirates Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
United Kingdom English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic
United States English 82%, Spanish 11% (2000)
Uruguay Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero
Uzbekistan Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Vanuatu Bislama 23% (a Melanesian pidgin English), English 2%, French 1% (all 3 official); more than 100 local languages 73%
Vatican City (Holy See) Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Venezuela Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Vietnam Vietnamese (official); English (increasingly favored as a second language); some French, Chinese, Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Western Sahara (proposed state) Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Yemen Arabic
Zambia English (official); major vernaculars: Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga; about 70 other indigenous languages
Zimbabwe English (official), Shona, Ndebele (Sindebele), numerous minor tribal dialects

Infoplease

Provided by Infoplease—an authoritative, comprehensive reference website that offers an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs. Visit Infoplease.com to find more resources endorsed by teachers and librarians.

Featured High School Resources

TEACHING RESOURCE

Writing Differentiation Strategies and Activities for High School

Close learning gaps this Fall with differentiated writing instruction This resource provides 5 strategies and 2 editabl...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Reading Differentiation Strategies and Activities for High School

TEACHING RESOURCE

Reading Differentiation Strategies and Activities for High School

Close learning gaps this Fall with differentiated reading instruction This resource provides 5 strategies and 3 editabl...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
Math Differentiation and Remediation Strategies for High School

TEACHING RESOURCE

Math Differentiation and Remediation Strategies for High School

Close learning gaps with differentiated and remediated math instruction This resource provides 5 strategies for how to ...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

Related Resources

TEACHING RESOURCE

World Geography Glossary

geography The study of the physical features of the earth.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Latin Words and Phrases

What's the language of scholars, doctors, lawyers, scientists, and priests? It's Latin, and it's not a dead language, as...

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Thanks Around the World

It's what your parents always remind you to say.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Amazing Language Facts

There are more than 2,700 languages in the world. In addition, there are more than 7,000 dialects.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Ten Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World

LanguageApprox. number of speakers 1. Chinese (Mandarin)1,075,000,000 2. English514,000,000 3.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER

REFERENCE

Where in the World Is Spanish Spoken?

The places listed below have Spanish-speaking populations greater than 100,000.

Add to Folder
creative writing
children's book
activities
classroom tools
language arts and writing
vocabulary
Create new folderCREATE NEW FOLDER
loading gif