List of countries where English is an official language

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The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where English is an official or language of government. In many countries English is the dominant language, but does not have official status. In Australia, English is spoken by the vast majority of the population and is the only language used in government institutions, yet Australia does not have an official language. The case is the same in the United Kingdom and the United States, though many states and regions within the U.S. do have English as an official language. English is the official language of Canada along with French and the Philippines.[1]English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Commonwealth Games. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, European Union and the International Olympic Committee. Many of these countries are current or former colonies or dependencies of the United Kingdom (see also British Empire), or of the United States. Notable exceptions include Rwanda which was a former Belgian colony as well as Ethiopia and Eritrea. India's linguistic picture is complex. According to the Constitution of India, "Hindi in the Devanagari script" is the official language of the union[2] and English the 'subsidiary official language'; [3] however, English is mandated for the authoritative texts of all federal laws and Supreme Court decisions, and (along with Hindi) 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.[citation needed] See Official languages of India. The linguistic makeup of Pakistan is similarly complex. While the national language is Urdu, English is an official language and used in business, government, and law.[4] English is a compulsory language in schools. All school courses are taught in English.[citation needed] Pakistan is the 9th largest English-speaking country in the world by population.[5]
Contents
[hide]

1 Majority English-speaking countries 2 Sovereign states 3 Non-sovereign entities

4 Map of English Status 5 See also 6 Footnotes

7 References

[edit]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.[6]
[edit]Sovereign

states

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country

Region

Population1

Barbados[7]

Caribbean

294,000

Belize [8]

Central America / Caribbean

288,000

Botswana [8]

Africa

1,882,000

Cameroon[9]

Africa

18,549,000

Canada[9]

North America

33,531,000

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country

Region

Population1

Dominica[9]

Caribbean

73,000

Eritrea[9]

Africa

5,224,000

Ethiopia[9]

Africa

82,101,998

Fiji[9]

Oceania

827,900

The Gambia[9]

Africa

1,709,000

Ghana[9]

Africa

23,478,000

Grenada[9]

Caribbean

106,000

Guyana[10]

South America / Caribbean

738,000

India [8][11]

Asia

1,143,540,000

Ireland[12]

Europe

4,581,269

Jamaica[13]

Caribbean

2,714,000

Kenya[9]

Africa

37,538,000

Kiribati[9]

Oceania

95,000

Lesotho[9]

Africa

2,008,000

Liberia[9]

Africa

3,750,000

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country

Region

Population1

Malawi[14]

Africa

13,925,000

Malta[9]

Europe

412,600

Marshall Islands[9]

Oceania

59,000

Mauritius[9]

Africa / Indian Ocean

1,262,000

Federated States of Micronesia[9]

Oceania

111,000

Namibia[9]

Africa

2,074,000

Nauru[15]

Oceania

10,000

Nigeria[9][16]

Africa

148,093,000

Pakistan[9]

Asia

165,449,000

Palau [8]

Oceania

20,000

Papua New Guinea[17][18]

Oceania

6,331,000

Philippines[9][19]

Asia

90,457,200

Rwanda[9]

Africa

9,725,000

Saint Kitts and Nevis[20]

Caribbean

50,000

Saint Lucia[9]

Caribbean

165,000

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country

Region

Population1

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[21] Caribbean

120,000

Samoa[22]

Oceania

188,359

Seychelles[9]

Africa / Indian Ocean

87,000

Sierra Leone[9]

Africa

5,866,000

Singapore[23]

Asia

4,839,400

Solomon Islands[9]

Oceania

506,992

South Africa[24]

Africa

47,850,700

South Sudan[25]

Africa

8,260,490

Sudan[9]

Africa

31,894,000

Swaziland[9]

Africa

1,141,000

Tanzania[9]

Africa

40,454,000

Tonga[26]

Oceania

100,000

Trinidad and Tobago[9]

Caribbean

1,333,000

Tuvalu[8]

Oceania

11,000

Uganda[9]

Africa

30,884,000

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country

Region

Population1

Vanuatu[27]

Oceania

226,000

Zambia[9]

Africa

11,922,000

Zimbabwe[9]

Africa

13,349,000

Countries where English is the de facto language

Country

Region

Population1

Antigua and Barbuda[9]

Caribbean

85,000

Australia[28]

Australia

22,374,370

Bahamas, The[9]

Caribbean

331,000

New Zealand[9]

Oceania

4,294,350

United Kingdom aka Europe England United States [edit]Non-sovereign Wales Scotland North America 309,442,000 61,612,300

entities
Region Population1

Entity

American Samoa11

Oceania

67,000

Anguilla[9]

Caribbean

13,000

Bermuda9[9]

North America

65,000

Entity

Region

Population1

British Virgin Islands[9]

Caribbean

23,000

Cayman Islands [8]

Caribbean

47,000

Christmas Island12[9]

Australia

1,508

Cocos (Keeling) Islands[9]

Australia

596

Cook Islands[9]

Oceania

20,200

Falkland Islands

South Atlantic

3,000

Gibraltar[9]

Europe

29,257

Guam4

Oceania

173,000

Guernsey10

Europe

61,811

Hong Kong2[9]

Asia

7,097,600

Isle of Man8

Europe

80,058

Jersey6[9]

Europe

89,300

Montserrat[8]

Caribbean

5,900

Niue

Oceania

1,600

Norfolk Island[9]

Australia

1,828

Entity

Region

Population1

Northern Mariana Islands7

Oceania

84,000

Pitcairn Islands13[9]

Oceania

50

Puerto Rico3

Caribbean

3,991,000

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha[8] South Atlantic

5,660

Sint Maarten

Caribbean

40,900

San Andrs y Providencia[29]

Caribbean

59,573

Somaliland[30]

Africa

3,500,000

Tokelau [8]

Oceania

1,400

Turks and Caicos Islands[9]

Caribbean

26,000

U.S. Virgin Islands5

Caribbean

111,000

[edit]Map

of English Status

Map of nations using English as an official language or as the predominant language

[edit]See

also

Anglo-America Anglosphere Commonwealth of Nations British Overseas Territories List of countries by English-speaking population

[edit]Footnotes

^1 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.) ^2 Hong Kong is a former British Crown Colony (1843-1981) and British Dependent Territory (1981-1997); it is currently a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (1997- present) ^3 Puerto Rico is, historically and geographically, connected to the Spanishspeaking Caribbean; Spanish is the main language of the majority of Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated United States territory referred to as a "Commonwealth" ^4 Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States ^5 The US Virgin Islands is an insular area of the United States ^6 Jersey is a British Crown dependency

^7 The Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the United States ^8 Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency ^9 Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom ^10 Guernsey is a British Crown dependency ^11 American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory ^12 Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia ^13 Pitcairn Islands is a British overseas territory
[edit]References

1. 2.

^ OCOL - Home ^ "The Union: Official

Language". National Informatics Centre (NIC). 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2007.

3.

^ "Notification No. 2/8/60-O.L.

(Ministry of Home Affairs)". April 27, 1960. Retrieved July 4, 2007.

4. 5. 6.

^ CIA - The World Factbook ^ Introduction to Pakistan ^ "Basic Facts of

Bangladesh". High Commission of Bangladesh. Retrieved 14 July 2011.

7.

^ "Society". Government

Information Service (Barbados). Retrieved 2009-01-18.

8.

^ a b c d e f g h i English

usage; "Field Listing - Languages". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2009-01-11..

9.
q ar as at au av

^abcdefghijklmnopqrstu

v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap a

Official language; "Field

Listing - Languages". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2009-01-11..

10.

^ "National Profile".

Government Information Agency (Guyana). Retrieved 2009-01-18.

11.

^ N. Krishnaswamy; Lalitha

Krishnaswamy (6 January 2006). "3.14 English Becomes a Second Language". The story of English in India. Foundation Books. ISBN 9788175963122.

12.
hIREANN

^ BUNREACHT NA

13. 14.

^ The Constitution of

Jamaica (section 20(6e) implicit) ^ Malawi Investment

Promotion Agency (August 2005). "Opportunities for investment and Trade in Malawi the Warm Heart of Africa". Government of Malawi. Retrieved 2009-01-18.

15.

^ "Nauru". New Zealand

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2009-0118. English and Nauruan are official.

16.

^ "Country profile:

Nigeria". BBC News. April 30, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008.

17.

^ "General Information on

Papua New Guinea". Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. Retrieved 2009-01-18.[dead link]

18. 19.

^ "Country profile: Papua

New Guinea". BBC News. 2008-11-28. ^ "Constitution of the

Republic of the Philippines, Article XIV". Chanrobles Law Library. 1987. Retrieved October 27, 2007.(See Article XIV, Section 7)

20.

^ "Primary Schools".

Government of St Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis. Retrieved 2009-01-18.

21.

^ "St. Vincent and the

Grenadines Profile". Agency for Public Information (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines). Retrieved 2011-06-18.

22.

^ "Legislations: List of Acts

and Ordinances". The Parliament of Samoa. Retrieved 2009-01-18.[dead

Languages for official legislation are

Samoan and English.

23.

^ Wong, Aline (2000-11-

24). "Education in a Multicultural Setting The Singapore Experience". Ministry of Education, Government of Singapore. Retrieved 2009-01-18. "There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil."

24.

^ "Constitution of the

Republic of South Africa". Constitutional Court of South Africa. Retrieved 2009-0111.

25.

^ "The Constitution of

Southern Sudan". Southern Sudan Civil Society Initiative. Retrieved 2011-07-09.

26.

^ Kingdom of Tonga (March

2008). "The United Nations / Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council". Retrieved 200901-18.[dead link] English and Tongan are listed as official.

27.

^ "Constitution of the

Republic of Vanuatu". Government of the Republic of Vanuatu. 1980-83. Retrieved 2009-01-18.

28.

^ "Pluralist Nations: Pluralist

Language Policies?". 1995 Global

Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney.Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Retrieved 11 January 2009."English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."

29. 30.

^ http://www.alcaldiabogota.g

ov.co/sisjur/normas/Norma1.jsp?i=2780 ^ "National Profile". Republic

of Somaliland. Retrieved 2011-08-24.

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