Galician

Galician (Galego) refers to the people of Galicia, an autonomous community in northwestern Spain, as well as to the language they speak and their culture. The region lies on the Atlantic coast, and its capital is Santiago de Compostela. The term is also used to refer to the linguistic variety spoken there.

The Galician language is a Romance tongue that developed from medieval Galician-Portuguese. It remains closely related to Portuguese and shares a common origin. Galician is an official language of Spain, co-official with Spanish in Galicia, and is used in education, government, media, and daily life. The language has several regional varieties, and standard orthography is coordinated by normative bodies such as the Real Academia Galega (RAG).

Historically, Galician and Portuguese formed a single linguistic continuum that diverged in the later Middle Ages as political borders shifted. Today, Galician has a rich literary tradition, with a revival known as the Rexurdimento in the 19th century and authors such as Rosalía de Castro contributing to its modern development.

Cultural life in Galicia encompasses music, folklore, cuisine, and a strong regional identity. The language remains vibrant in Galicia and among Galician-speaking communities elsewhere, reflecting a heritage that blends maritime traditions, landscape, and a distinct cultural voice within Spain.