English-speaking countries / English-speaking countries

English-speaking countries... The question immediately flashed into my head: “How many people speak English?”

It is hardly possible to say exactly how many people in the world speak English. It is difficult to find exact figures for 2014, and even previous years. Even the popular free encyclopedia Wikipedia last recorded data on the number of people who speak English in 2012, and has not been verified by experienced participants to this day.

Nevertheless, let's look at what we have at the moment.
In many countries, English is the dominant language, but has no official status. That is, for some it is the native language and the official language of their country, for others it is a second or foreign language.

Countries with the largest populations of native English speakers include:
United States of America (215 million);
United Kingdom (61 million);
Canada (18.2 million), Australia (15.5 million);
Nigeria (4 million);
Ireland (3.8 million);
South Africa (3.7 million);
New Zealand (3.6 million).

English is the only official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Commonwealth Games. English is one of the official languages ​​of the UN, EU and IOC (International Olympic Committee).

An interesting fact is that some countries on the list, such as England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the Philippines, use English as their official language, but in addition to it they have other official languages.

The list also includes countries where English is the predominant language but does not have official status. In Australia, English is spoken by the majority of the population and is the only language used in government, yet Australia does not have an official language.

In a word, if we combine all speakers of English, we can safely talk about the most widespread spoken language in the world. Thus English is an international language.

English is the language of business and politics. More than 90% of all information in the world is also stored in English. This language is defined as the main language of the Internet. Television and radio broadcasts of the world's largest companies (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, CBC), covering an audience of 500 million people, are also performed in English. Songs are sung and films are made in this language. English is the most taught language in the world.

List of English speaking countries

Countries where English is formally the official language:

Countries where English is actually the official language:

Non-sovereign objects

Why are you learning English? For work, education, travel... It all comes down to communication, right? People who speak English feel confident not only at home, but also abroad. Especially in those countries where English is used not by tourists, but by the local population. Moreover, the English-speaking countries of the world have much in common not only in the language of communication, but also in culture as a whole. We recently discussed.

At the same time, English-speaking countries often have a second or even a third official language. Tourists don’t need to know it, but imagine how much it will expand the boundaries of perception! After all, this is why we go on trips. Therefore, let's find out which countries use English as the main language, and what the Anglosphere is.

The Anglosphere as the sum of the English-speaking countries of the world

The term “Anglosphere” is still young - it appeared in 1995 thanks to the wit of the writer Neal Stephenson. In his fantasy novel The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, London is the cultural center of the English-speaking world. He wrote about English-speaking countries in English and had in mind a purely cultural component without any political overtones.

But we understand that in the real world one cannot ignore such political and social aspects as, for example, the borders of states, the size of their population, official symbols, etc. Therefore, let's remember which countries are officially English-speaking, that is, English remains the main state language for them:

India (pop. 1,129,866,154)

USA (population 300,007,997)

Pakistan (pop. 162,419,946)

Nigeria (pop. 128,771,988)

Philippines (pop. 87,857,473)

United Kingdom (population 60,441,457)

South Africa (pop. 44,344,136)

Tanzania (pop. 38,860,170)

Sudan (pop. 36,992,490)

1. Kenya (pop. 33,829,590)
2. Canada (population 32,300,000)
3. Uganda (pop. 27,269,482)
4. Ghana (pop. 25,199,609)
5. Australia (pop. 23,130,931)
6. Cameroon (pop. 16,380,005)
7. Zimbabwe (pop. 12,746,990)
8. Sierra Leone (pop. 6,017,643)
9. Papua New Guinea (pop. 5,545,268)
10. Singapore (pop. 4,425,720)
11. Ireland (pop. 4,130,700)
12. New Zealand (pop. 4,108,561)
13. Jamaica (pop. 2,731,832)
14. Fiji (pop. 893,354)
15. Seychelles (pop. 81,188)
16. Marshall Islands (pop. 59,071).

This list does not contain the names of all, but the largest and/or most interesting for travelers countries in which English is the official language. However, be careful when using the term “official language.” Because each state, despite belonging to the imaginary “Anglosphere,” manages things in its own way. For example, the vast majority of Australians speak English, including government agencies that use it for work, but Australia simply does not have an official language.

But India, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the Philippines, which have large and multinational populations, consider English the official language, but not the only one - other official languages ​​are used along with it.

Other countries where English is spoken

The map of the Anglosphere is motley and diverse. It is impossible to unite all English-speaking countries with common bridges and/or roads; they are too scattered around the world. But you can trace the spread of the English language around the planet. It originated in Great Britain, and its policies in the 18th and 19th centuries contributed to the spread of the English language throughout the world. Many of the countries where English is the official language are former British colonies. And even today, not all of them have become sovereign states. Here are the non-sovereign English-speaking countries of the world:

Hong Kong (pop. 6,898,686)

Puerto Rico (pop. 3,912,054)

1. Guam (pop. 108,708)
2. US Virgin Islands (pop. 108,708)
3. Jersey (pop. 88,200)
4. Bermuda (pop. 65,365)
5. Cayman Islands (pop. 44,270)
6. Gibraltar (pop. 27,884)
7. British Virgin Islands (pop. 22,643)
8. Falkland Islands (pop. 2,969)

These territories, and even the British Indian Ocean Territory with its population of 2,800 people, are not sovereign states. Their residents speak mainly English. Simply put, English-speaking people are called Anglophones (from the Greek “anglos” - English and “phonos” - sound). This collective term conventionally unites the entire English-speaking population of the Earth. And this, for a minute, is 510 million people. Moreover, only 380 million have English as their native language, and another 130 million speak English fluently, but it is a second language for them, that is, they have learned it. Studying English in courses and/or on our own, we strive to join them, right? :)

Symbols of English-speaking countries

Each country where English is the official language has its own traditions and symbols. For example, there are floristic (plants), animalistic (animal) symbols of English-speaking countries. They can overlap with each other or be completely different, such as, for example, the symbol of Ireland is the clover and the symbol of Britain is the rose. But often one can easily trace the commonality or continuity of the flags of English-speaking countries.

Do you remember in which countries certain animals are revered? Here are some tips:

Learn English, explore English-speaking countries, and make English-speaking friends for a truly in-depth cultural experience.

English is the third most widely spoken language in the world, after Chinese and Spanish. 365 million people on Earth speak English. And if you add to them those for whom English is a second language, you get an impressive figure - 840 million. The list of countries where English is spoken is quite large; the main English-speaking countries are the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

While learning English grammar and vocabulary, don't forget about fun information about English-speaking countries that will help you better understand the living structure of the language and its history. We have collected some interesting facts that you may not have known about, and now you can surprise your teachers or friends.

So, interesting information about English-speaking countries and the English language:

1. The letter “E” is found in the English language much more often than other letters, it is almost every eighth letter.

2. What letter do you think most English words begin with? It turns out that this is the letter “S”.

3. The shortest sentences in the English language are “Go!” and “I am.”

4. Do you know what the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is famous for? It contains all the letters of the English alphabet.

5. A curious word “Queuing” is the only word in the English language that has 5 vowels in a row.

6. English is the official language in world aviation. All negotiations between pilots and dispatchers on international flights and airports are conducted in English.

7. English is the official language in 67 countries.

8. According to the British Council, one billion people in the world study English.

9. 80% of the world's electronic information is stored in English.

10. The most common words in the English language are “the” and “be”.

11. “Good” is the most common English adjective.

12. “Time” is the most common English noun.

13. The word “happy” is used 3 times more often than the word “sad”, so English can safely be called one of the happiest languages.

14. The word “Goodbye” came into modern English from an Old English phrase that can be literally translated as “God be with you.”

15. The first English dictionary was published in 1755.

16. “Town” is the oldest word that comes from Old English and is still widely used.

17. The oldest English words have come down to us from the Stone Age! These are “I”, “we”, “two”, “three” and “five”. These prehistoric words may date back tens of thousands of years. According to British scientists, some of them may be 40 thousand years old.

18. The English language comes from the oldest dialects - West Germanic and Danish. These dialects were brought to Britain by Germanic tribes, whose invasion began in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Therefore, at present, most words in English have Germanic roots. Since those ancient times, the language has changed a lot, but the basic roots remain.

19. There was a period in the history of Britain when the English nobility could not speak English for a whole century. In 1066, the army of William the Conqueror invaded the country. The conquerors brought with them French and Latin. All representatives of the local nobility began to speak French, it became the language of power and aristocracy. As a result of the Norman invasion, 10 thousand French words came into the English language. These historical events provide a plausible explanation for the fact that some words of French-Latin origin sound “more aristocratic” than similar words of English origin. For example, “mansion” sounds much more prestigious than “house”, similarly “commence” sounds more impressive than “start”.

THE WORK WAS DONE BY A STUDENT OF GROUP B-0811 TERESHCHENKO ALYONA Teacher Vodolazskaya I.E. English-speaking countries

English-speaking countries English-speaking countries are: Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. English-speaking countries include: Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.

The UK The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of 4 parts: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of 4 parts: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.

The UK The British Isles are group of islands which lie out of the northwest coast of the European continent. The British Isles are a group of islands that lie off the northwestern coast of the European continent.

The UK There are no high mountains, no long rivers, no large forests in the UK. The population of Britain is nearly 56 million people. Britain is a capitalist English-speaking country. There are no high mountains, long rivers or dense forests in Great Britain. The population of Great Britain is almost 56 million people. Great Britain is a capitalist English-speaking country.

The United States of America The USA is located in the central part of the North American continent. The population of the USA makes more than 236 million people. The USA is a highly developed industrial English-speaking country. The USA is located in the central part of the North American continent. The population of the USA is more than 236 million people. The USA is a highly industrialized English-speaking country.

The United States of America There are two main political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. There are two main political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

The United States of America The United States - is a multinational country, so people in the USA speak English and other languages. But English is the state language. The United States is a multicultural country, so both English and other languages ​​are spoken there. But the official language is English.

Canada Canada has an area of ​​about 10 million square kilometers. Its west coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Canada has an area of ​​about 10 million square km. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and its eastern coast by the Atlantic Ocean.

Canada Canada's population is over 26 million people. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth. Canada's population is over 26 million people. Canada is a member of the Commonwealth.

Australia Australia has the area about 8 million square km. The union of territories of Australia includes: continent of Australia, island of Tasmania and number of small islands. Australia has an area of ​​about 8 million square km. The Union of Australian Territories includes: the continent of Australia, the island of Tasmania and a number of small islands.

Australia The population of Australia is more than 16 million people. The Australian Union is a capitalist self-operating federal state. The population of Australia is more than 16 million people. The Commonwealth of Australia is a capitalist federal state.

New Zealand New Zealand is located to the south-east of Australia. It is located on big islands: North Island, South Island and Stewart Island, as well as many small islands. New Zealand is located southeast of Australia. It is located on the large islands: North Island, South Island and Stewart Island, and also occupies many small islands.

New Zealand The population of New Zealand is more than three million people. New Zealand is a capitalist state and self-governing member of the Commonwealth. The population of New Zealand is more than three million people. New Zealand is a capitalist self-governing state and a member of the Commonwealth.