What language is spoken where?
Many countries speak more than one language, and the language border often runs right through the country. Here you will find an interactive map for each country: tap a region, see which language is spoken there and listen to typical words.
Countries at a glance
Official language, national language, everyday language
The official language is the language of government, laws and schools. It is not always the language you hear in the street. In Egypt, Arabic is the official language and Standard Arabic is used in writing, but people speak Egyptian Arabic in daily life. Mexico has no official language at federal level: Spanish and the Indigenous languages are all national languages. In Switzerland and Belgium, the language of offices and schools depends on the region.
How to read the maps
Each colour stands for a language area. The borders are simplified and mostly follow administrative lines such as provinces, cantons or states. In reality languages often blend into each other, and in big cities you hear several languages almost everywhere. Every region comes with audio examples of words that are typical there.
Learn these languages for free
You can learn many of the languages on these maps for free on Langula, for example French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic, with audio for every word and sentence.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries have more than one official language?
Switzerland has four national languages, Belgium has three official languages and Luxembourg uses Luxembourgish, French and German. Canada, with English and French, is another example.
Which country has the most languages?
Papua New Guinea. More than 800 languages are spoken there, more than in any other country.
Do they speak Spanish in Brazil?
No. Brazilians speak Portuguese, even though almost all neighbouring countries are Spanish-speaking.