Portuguese is spoken in several countries around the world, primarily due to the influence of Portuguese exploration and colonization during the Age of Discovery. Here are the countries where Portuguese is an official language:
1. Brazil
- Region: South America
- Population: Over 210 million
- Characteristics: Brazil is the largest country where Portuguese is spoken, and it has the largest population of Portuguese speakers in the world.
2. Portugal
- Region: Europe
- Population: Approximately 10 million
- Characteristics: The origin of the Portuguese language, Portugal has a rich history and culture that has spread globally through its former colonies.
3. Angola
- Region: Africa
- Population: Over 32 million
- Characteristics: Portuguese is widely spoken and serves as a lingua franca in this country with diverse ethnic groups and languages.
4. Mozambique
- Region: Africa
- Population: Over 31 million
- Characteristics: Portuguese is the official language and is used in government, education, and media.
5. Cape Verde (Cabo Verde)
- Region: Africa (Atlantic Ocean)
- Population: Approximately 550,000
- Characteristics: An archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa, Portuguese is used alongside Cape Verdean Creole.
6. Guinea-Bissau
- Region: Africa
- Population: Approximately 2 million
- Characteristics: Portuguese is the official language, but Crioulo (a Portuguese-based Creole) is widely spoken.
7. São Tomé and Príncipe
- Region: Africa (Gulf of Guinea)
- Population: Approximately 220,000
- Characteristics: A small island nation where Portuguese is the official language.
8. East Timor (Timor-Leste)
- Region: Southeast Asia
- Population: Approximately 1.3 million
- Characteristics: Portuguese is one of the official languages, alongside Tetum. The country was a Portuguese colony before being occupied by Indonesia and gaining independence in 2002.
9. Equatorial Guinea
- Region: Africa (Central Africa)
- Population: Approximately 1.4 million
- Characteristics: Portuguese was adopted as one of the official languages in 2010 to promote cultural ties with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
Autonomous Regions with Portuguese Influence:
- Macau (Special Administrative Region of China)
- Region: East Asia
- Population: Approximately 680,000
- Characteristics: Portuguese is a co-official language alongside Cantonese, reflecting its history as a former Portuguese colony.
- Goa, Daman, and Diu (India)
- Region: South Asia
- Characteristics: These regions were former Portuguese territories. While Portuguese is no longer an official language, it is still spoken by some older generations and used in certain cultural contexts.
Global Influence
- Diaspora: Portuguese-speaking communities can be found globally, especially in countries with significant immigrant populations from Portuguese-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
- Cultural and Economic Ties: The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) promotes cultural, economic, and political ties among Portuguese-speaking nations.
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