Portuguese-Speaking Countries 2023

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Interactive Map Introduction Portuguese Language Dialect vs Language Portuguese Dialects Brazilian Portuguese Countries That Speak Portuguese Portuguese-Speaking Countries Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australia Australian Indian Ocean Territories Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay People's Republic of China Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Macedonia Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint-Barthélemy San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Siachen Glacier Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia Somaliland South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America United States Virgin Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe FAQs What language does Brazil speak?Which language is Portuguese closest to?How many people speak Portuguese?

Introduction

The Portuguese language is a Romance language originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. It has over 250 million native speakers around the world and is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Portuguese has been described as having a lyrical quality and a melodious sound due to its consonant clusters and vowel combinations. Its grammar is relatively simple compared to other European languages, but it does have highly complex verb conjugations. Furthermore, Portuguese contains several unique words and expressions that are absent in other Romance languages such as: “obrigado” (thank you), “rapariga” (girl) or “gosto” (taste). Additionally, many Brazilian dialects are mutually intelligible with European Portuguese which makes it an even more attractive language for learners. There is a vast selection of literature written in Portuguese from both Portugal and Brazil which all feature their own unique cultural influences making it a great way for learners to get familiarized with various aspects of these two countries’ cultures.

Country	Portugese-Speaking Country	Spanish-Speaking Countries	English-Speaking Country	Russian-Speaking Country
Afghanistan	No		No	No
Albania	No		No	No
Algeria	No		No	No
Andorra	No		No	No
Anguilla	No		Yes	No
Antigua and Barbuda	No		Yes	No
Argentina	No	Yes	No	No
Armenia	No		No	No
Aruba	No		No	No
Ashmore and Cartier Islands	No		No	No
Australia	No		Yes	No
Australian Indian Ocean Territories	No		Yes	No
Austria	No		No	No
Azerbaijan	No		No	No
Bahrain	No		No	No
Bangladesh	No		No	No
Barbados	No		Yes	No
Belarus	No		No	Yes
Belgium	No		No	No
Belize	No		Yes	No
Benin	No		No	No
Bermuda	No		Yes	No
Bhutan	No		No	No
Bolivia	No	Yes	No	No
Bosnia and Herzegovina	No		No	No
Botswana	No		Yes	No
British Virgin Islands	No		Yes	No
Brunei	No		Yes	No
Bulgaria	No		No	No
Burkina Faso	No		No	No
Burundi	No		No	No
Cambodia	No		No	No
Cameroon	No		No	No
Canada	No		Yes	No
Cayman Islands	No		Yes	No
Central African Republic	No		No	No
Chad	No		No	No
Chile	No	Yes	No	No
Colombia	No	Yes	No	No
Comoros	No		No	No
Costa Rica	No	Yes	No	No
Croatia	No		No	No
Cuba	No	Yes	No	No
Curaçao	No		No	No
Cyprus	No		No	No
Czech Republic	No		No	No
Democratic Republic of the Congo	No		No	No
Denmark	No		No	No
Djibouti	No		No	No
Dominica	No		Yes	No
Dominican Republic	No	Yes	No	No
East Timor	No		No	No
Ecuador	No	Yes	No	No
Egypt	No		No	No
El Salvador	No	Yes	No	No
Equatorial Guinea	No	Yes	No	No
Eritrea	No		No	No
Estonia	No		No	No
Ethiopia	No		No	No
Faroe Islands	No		No	No
Federated States of Micronesia	No		No	No
Fiji	No		Yes	No
Finland	No		No	No
France	No		No	No
Gabon	No		No	No
Georgia	No		No	No
Germany	No		No	No
Ghana	No		Yes	No
Greece	No		No	No
Grenada	No		Yes	No
Guam	No		Yes	No
Guatemala	No	Yes	No	No
Guernsey	No		Yes	No
Guinea	No		No	No
Guyana	No		Yes	No
Haiti	No		No	No
Honduras	No	Yes	No	No
Hong Kong	No		No	No
Hungary	No		No	No
Iceland	No		No	No
India	No		No	No
Indonesia	No		No	No
Iran	No		No	No
Iraq	No		No	No
Ireland	No		Yes	No
Isle of Man	No		Yes	No
Israel	No		No	No
Italy	No		No	No
Ivory Coast	No		No	No
Jamaica	No		Yes	No
Japan	No		No	No
Jersey	No		Yes	No
Jordan	No		No	No
Kazakhstan	No		No	Yes
Kenya	No		Yes	No
Kosovo	No		No	No
Kuwait	No		No	No
Kyrgyzstan	No		No	Yes
Laos	No		No	No
Latvia	No		No	No
Lebanon	No		No	No
Lesotho	No		No	No
Liberia	No		Yes	No
Libya	No		No	No
Liechtenstein	No		No	No
Lithuania	No		No	No
Luxembourg	No		No	No
Madagascar	No		No	No
Malawi	No		Yes	No
Malaysia	No		No	No
Maldives	No		No	No
Mali	No		No	No
Malta	No		No	No
Marshall Islands	No		Yes	No
Mauritania	No		No	No
Mauritius	No		Yes	No
Mexico	No	Yes	No	No
Moldova	No		No	No
Monaco	No		No	No
Mongolia	No		No	No
Montenegro	No		No	No
Montserrat	No		No	No
Morocco	No		No	No
Myanmar	No		No	No
Namibia	No		No	No
Nauru	No		No	No
Nepal	No		No	No
Netherlands	No		No	No
New Caledonia	No		No	No
New Zealand	No		No	No
Nicaragua	No	Yes	No	No
Niger	No		No	No
Nigeria	No		Yes	No
Norfolk Island	No		Yes	No
North Korea	No		No	No
Northern Mariana Islands	No		No	No
Norway	No		No	No
Oman	No		No	No
Pakistan	No		No	No
Palau	No		No	No
Palestine	No		No	No
Panama	No		No	No
Papua New Guinea	No		Yes	No
Paraguay	No	Yes	No	No
People's Republic of China	No		No	No
Peru	No	Yes	No	No
Philippines	No		Yes	No
Poland	No		No	No
Puerto Rico	No	Yes	Yes	No
Qatar	No		No	No
Republic of Macedonia	No		No	No
Republic of the Congo	No		No	No
Romania	No		No	No
Russia	No		No	Yes
Rwanda	No		No	No
Saint Helena	No		Yes	No
Saint Kitts and Nevis	No		Yes	No
Saint Lucia	No		Yes	No
Saint Martin	No		Yes	No
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	No		No	No
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	No		Yes	No
Saint-Barthélemy	No		No	No
San Marino	No		No	No
Saudi Arabia	No		No	No
Senegal	No		No	No
Serbia	No		No	No
Seychelles	No		No	No
Siachen Glacier	No		No	No
Sierra Leone	No		Yes	No
Singapore	No		Yes	No
Sint Maarten	No		No	No
Slovakia	No		No	No
Slovenia	No		No	No
Solomon Islands	No		Yes	No
Somalia	No		No	No
Somaliland	No		No	No
South Africa	No		Yes	No
South Korea	No		No	No
South Sudan	No		Yes	No
Spain	No	Yes	No	No
Sri Lanka	No		No	No
Sudan	No		No	No
Suriname	No		No	No
Sweden	No		No	No
Switzerland	No		No	No
Syria	No		No	No
Taiwan	No		No	No
Tajikistan	No		No	No
Tanzania	No		No	No
Thailand	No		No	No
The Bahamas	No		Yes	No
The Gambia	No		Yes	No
Togo	No		No	No
Trinidad and Tobago	No		Yes	No
Tunisia	No		No	No
Turkey	No		No	No
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus	No		Yes	No
Turkmenistan	No		No	No
Turks and Caicos Islands	No		No	No
Uganda	No		No	No
Ukraine	No		No	No
United Arab Emirates	No		No	No
United Kingdom	No		Yes	No
United States Virgin Islands	No		Yes	No
United States of America	No		Yes	No
Uruguay	No	Yes	No	No
Uzbekistan	No		No	No
Vanuatu	No		No	No
Vatican City	No		No	No
Venezuela	No	Yes	No	No
Vietnam	No		No	No
Western Sahara	No		No	No
Yemen	No		No	No
Zambia	No		Yes	No
Zimbabwe	No		No	No
Eswatini	No		No	No
Åland Islands	No		No	No
Angola	Yes		No	No
Brazil	Yes		No	No
Guinea-Bissau	Yes		No	No
Macau	Yes		No	No
Mozambique	Yes		No	No
Portugal	Yes		No	No
São Tomé and Príncipe	Yes		No	No

Portuguese Language

Portuguese was developed from Latin and Galician-Portuguese and is closely related to Spanish. The most defining feature of Portuguese is its unique phonology, which includes some consonants not found in other Romance languages. Its lexicon contains many Arabic and African influences as well as several borrowings from other languages such as French, Italian, and English. Historically, the language has been spoken in the regions of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Mozambique and East Timor. Though it has evolved over centuries into distinct dialects and accents throughout these countries and their respective regions, they are still considered variants of one single language. Some of the most noteworthy differences between dialects are pronunciation patterns as well as vocabulary. For example in Brazil a different word may be used for what would be called “chair” or “to eat” in Portugal. Other distinct features include changes to verbs conjugations or pronouns depending on region and native speaker’s preference. Portuguese has a rich literary history that dates back to the 12th century when epic poems were written based off of national folklore tales popular among the general public at that time. From then on literature written in this tongue continued to evolve until establishing itself firmly in bookshelves all over the world today.

Dialect vs Language

Portuguese dialects are incredibly diverse, with a number of different accents and linguistic variations across the country. This wealth of dialects has been a source of both pride and controversy for many years, as some argue that their recognition should be formalized in the Portuguese language. While there is no single accepted standard for what constitutes an official dialect, the government and education ministries have taken steps to recognize regional variations in teaching materials and exams. Additionally, native speakers often take great pride in their specific linguistic heritage, citing its unique history and local flavor. Despite this progress, many have argued that more should be done to recognize these linguistically rich cultures within Portugal’s borders. This includes increased funding into research initiatives that analyze Portuguese dialects so they can be better understood and appreciated by all. Furthermore, providing additional recognition to note-worthy speakers could further help encourage cultural preservation while also allowing them to become a part of mainstream discourse.

Portuguese Dialects

Portuguese dialects, which are divided into two major groups (Northern and Southern), can vary greatly from one another depending on their geographic location. Northern dialects influence those spoken in countries like Brazil and Angola, while southern dialects influence those spoken in Portugal, Mozambique and Cape Verde Island. Each of these dialects has its own unique features, such as grammar and pronunciation, making them distinct from one another. For example, grammatically speaking, some northern dialects use an extra pronoun to mark the subject of a sentence or verb phrase while southern dialects typically don’t. Furthermore, the consonants in some northern dialects have different sounds when compared to their pronunciations in the south. Additionally, regional accents also play an important role in determining the differences between Portuguese dialects. While there are numerous similarities between all of the different Portuguese dialects across the globe, there are enough subtle variations that make each one its own distinct entity.

Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese is a language spoken primarily by over 200 million people in Brazil, and by an additional 11 million people located in parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. There are two major varieties of Brazilian Portuguese: one based on the dialects spoken in the northern regions of Brazil, and another based on those spoken in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It has a phonologically distinct system of pronunciation that is different from European Portuguese, with markedly reduced vowel sounds and a variety of unique intonation patterns. The language also includes several loanwords from indigenous languages such as Tupi-Guarani, as well as many adaptations to African words brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans during the colonial period. In addition to its unique features, Brazilian Portuguese contains many linguistic similarities to other Romance languages including Spanish, French, Italian and Galician.

Countries That Speak Portuguese

Portuguese is a Romance language spoken by over 250 million people across the world, primarily in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Macau and São Tomé and Príncipe. Portugal was the first country to officially adopt Portuguese as its official language in 1290. Over the centuries, it has spread across the globe due to colonial expansion and exploration. Today it is one of the most widely spoken languages on Earth and an important tool for communication between different nations. The presence of Portuguese in countries such as Angola and Mozambique can be traced back to the 16th century when Portuguese explorers first arrived in Africa. As a result of this early contact with Europeans, many African languages adopted numerous words from Portuguese into their own vocabularies. In Macau and São Tomé and Príncipe both Portuguese and Chinese are official languages, reflecting the city’s unique multicultural history. Outside of Europe, Brazil is home to by far the largest number of Portuguese speakers – around 200 million people – making up nearly 80% of all native speakers worldwide. Although there have been certain linguistic modifications throughout its history, mainly due to Brazilian influence on other varieties of Portuguese-speaking countries, it remains highly mutually intelligible with European Portuguese today.

List of Portuguese-speaking countries :

Angola
Brazil
Guinea-Bissau
Macau
Mozambique
Portugal
São Tomé and Príncipe

Portuguese-Speaking Countries

Afghanistan

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Portugese-Speaking Country

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