Spanish

Spanish, also known as Castilian, is a Romance language that originated in the Castile region of the Iberian Peninsula. It descends from Vulgar Latin spoken during the Roman era and is part of the Ibero-Romance branch of Romance languages.

It is one of the world's most widely spoken languages. Estimates from the early 2020s place native speakers around 460 million and total speakers above 560 million, making it a major global language in education, media, and international communication.

Spanish is an official language in Spain and in most countries of Latin America, as well as in Equatorial Guinea. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely used in diplomacy and global commerce.

The language uses the Latin alphabet with the letter ñ and orthography that generally reflects pronunciation. Dialect differences exist in phonology, vocabulary, and grammar, but standard Spanish is taught in schools and used in formal communication.

Major regional varieties include Castilian (Spain), Mexican, Central American, Rioplatense (Argentina and Uruguay), Andean, and Caribbean Spanish. They are largely mutually intelligible but exhibit differences in pronunciation, vos usage, and everyday terms.

Historically, Spanish developed from medieval Iberian dialects and was standardised by institutions such as the Real Academia Española. It spread globally through exploration and colonization, giving rise to a vast body of literature and a strong international presence.