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There are a number of languages used in Spain and also a number of dialects of language. Almost everyone in Spain can speak Castilian Spanish; Castilian is the official language of Spain and so is used throughout Spanish Iberia. However, although it's the official language, Castilian is not the only language that has an "official" status. These other "co-official" languages are Catalan, Euskara and Galician. These co-official languages are used in different regions (Autonomous Communities) of Spain. Added to this, many of the official languages in Spain themselves have their own derived dialects. Catalan is classified as a roman language as it has been profoundly influenced by Latin. In the Iberian Peninsula, the Catalan langiage and its derivatives are principally spoken in the regions of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia however Catalan is also used in some parts of Murcia and Aragon. Catalan came to be recognized in early Spain when it began to blossom. It soon became considered as a primary language. It has passed in and out of favor within the Spanish court through a variety, most notably the dictator the Generalisimo Francisco Franco. Since Franco's death in 1975 Catalan has been reinstated as one of the official languages of Spain. It should be noted also that Catalan is not exclusively "Spanish" as it is also used in France and Italy. Euskara is the official language of the Spanish Basque region. Having said this, it is being used in other parts of the country due to its co-official status. The Basque language is a very interesting language in that nobody is entirely sure from which historical language it is derived as it is so different from any other language in the region, and indeed the world. There have been a number of theories on the history of this language, but its origin is still unknown today. Euskara is a very enigmatic language as it is one of a kind; historians really do not have any clues as to how it became. The Basque language is spoken by approximately 0.5 million basque natives and is is the most unique language in Spain. The third co-official language is Gallego (Galician) spoken in the region of Galicia located in the north of Spain. Like Catalan, Gallego is a roman language, however it has a much different sound to the Catalan language. In the past the Galician language and Portuguese were the same language (the historic Kingdom of Galicia once extended into the territory of Portugal). Although different languages today, Portuguese and the Galician language are related by what is known as a dialect continuum (i.e. they have many similarities having come from the same root language). There are a few areas in Spain where dialects are used by a relative handful of people; these "languages" struggle to survive and are disappearing rapidly. Most of the regions have dialects, and although the overwhelming majority of people know how to speak Spanish, many choose to use their own dialect. As a result a visitor to Spain may speak to several different people and hear several completely different languages, no matter where they are in the country! This linguistic diversity has been discussed through the years as the people of each region wear their language like a cultural badge. As previously mentioned, the official language in Spain is Castilian Spanish. Of course many other European languages are now used in certain parts of Spain as various Europeans have migrated to the south of Spain. And so it is likely that you will not only hear Castilian, Catalan, Gallego and Euskara (depending of course upon where you are) but you may also hear English, German, Italian and French.
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About the Article Author
Javier Melendez produces content for many Spanish related websites such as the Talk Spanish site. His recent work is entitled "learning to speak Spanish".
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