List of countries where English is an official language

The following is a list of sovereign state

Sovereign state

A 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 English

English language

English 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 official

Official language

An 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 Australia

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...

, English is spoken by the vast majority of the population and is the only language used in government

Government

Government 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 Kingdom

United Kingdom

The 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 States

United States

The 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 Canada

Canada

Canada 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 French

French language

French 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 Nations

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...

and the Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The 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 Union

European Union

The 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 Committee

International Olympic Committee

The 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 Kingdom

United Kingdom

(see also British Empire

British Empire

The 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 States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Notable exceptions include Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda 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 Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , 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 Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , 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 Eritrea

Eritrea

Eritrea , 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 India

Constitution of India

The 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...

, "Hindi

Hindi

Standard 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 Devanagari

Devanagari

Devanagari |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 Hindi

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. See Official languages of India.

The linguistic makeup of Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , 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 Urdu

Urdu

Urdu 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. Pakistan

Pakistan

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 jure
De jure
De 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 language
Official language
An 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 facto
De facto
De 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

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

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...

(1981-1997); it is currently a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , 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 language

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 Caribbean

Caribbean

The 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 "Commonwealth

Commonwealth (United States insular area)

In 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

Insular area

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

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

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 union

Political union

A 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

Crown dependency

Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom

Guernsey is a British Crown dependency

Crown dependency

American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory

Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia

Australia

Pitcairn Islands is a British overseas territory

British overseas territories

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Majority English-speaking countries

Sovereign states

Non-sovereign entities

Map of English Status

See also

Footnotes