España. National or official languages: Spanish, Basque, Galician, Gascon (Aranese), Catalan (regional). 39,652,742 (1996 census). Literacy rate 93% to 97%. Also includes Judeo-Tunisian Arabic, Fa D'ambu, Western Farsi 25,000, Kabuverdianu 10,000, Portuguese, Vlax Romani 500, Arabic 200,000, Chinese 20,000, from Latin America 150,000. Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; P. Blanchet 1986; B. Comrie 1987; J. Fishman 1991. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, secular. Blind population 30,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population 120,000 to 2,383,940. Deaf institutions: 129. Data accuracy estimate: B. The number of languages listed for Spain is 15. Of those, 13 are living languages and 2 are extinct. Diversity index 0.44.
ARAGONESE | [AXX]
11,000 or more active speakers. An additional 20,000 people use it as second language (1993 Counsel of the Aragonese Language). The majority speak Eastern Aragonese. 2,000,000 in the ethnic group. Zaragoza, Uesca Province. The northern limit is the Pyrenean border, separating Aragon from Occitania; the western limit is the border of Navarra; the eastern limit is north of Montsó. Western Aragonese includes the towns of Ansó, Echo, Chasa, Berdún, and Chaca; Central Aragonese the towns of Panticosa, Biescas, Torla, Broto, Bielsa, Yebra, and L'Ainsa; Eastern Aragonese the towns of Benás (Benasque, Benasc, Patués), Plan, Bisagorri, Campo, Perarruga, Graus, Estadilla; Southern Aragonese the towns of Agüero, Ayerbe, Rasal, Bolea, Lierta, Uesca, Almudébar, Nozito, Labata, Alguezra, Angüés, Pertusa, Balbastro, Nabal.
Alternate names: ARAGOIERAZ, ALTOARAGONÉS, ARAGONÉS, FABLA ARAGONESA, PATUÉS, HIGH ARAGONESE.
Dialects: WESTERN ARAGONESE (ANSOTANO, CHESO), CENTRAL ARAGONESE (BELSETÁN, CHISTABINO, TENSINO, PANDICUTO, BERGOTÉS), EASTERN ARAGONESE (BENASQUÉS, GRAUSINO, RIBAGORZANO, FOBANO, CHISTABINO), SOUTHERN ARAGONESE (AYERBENSE, SEMONTANÉS).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Pyrenean-Mozarabic, Pyrenean.
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ASTURIAN | [AUB]
100,000 first language speakers, plus 450,000 second language speakers able to speak or understand it (1994 F. F. Botas). 50,000 in Central Asturian, 30,000 in Western Asturian, 20,000 in Eastern Asturian. 550,000 in the ethnic group. Population total both countries 100,000 or more.
Alternate names: ASTUR-LEONESE, ASTURIAN-LEONESE, ASTURIANU.
Dialects: LEONESE (LLEONES), WESTERN ASTURIAN, CENTRAL ASTURIAN (BABLE), EASTERN ASTURIAN.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Asturo-Leonese.
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BASQUE | [BSQ]
580,000 in Spain (1991 L. Trask U. of Sussex). There are 2,000,000 residents of the 3 provinces of Basque territory; 25% were born outside the territory, 40% in the territory were born to Basque parents. 4,400,000 in Spain have a Basque surname; 19% live in Basque country. Population total all countries 580,000 or more.
Alternate names: VASCUENSE, EUSKERA.
Dialects: GUIPUZCOAN (GUIPUZCOANO, GIPUZKOAN), ALTO NAVARRO SEPTENTRIONAL (HIGH NAVARRESE, UPPER NAVARRAN), ALTO NAVARRO MERIDIONAL, BISCAYAN (VIZCAINO), AVALAN.
Classification: Basque.
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CALÓ | [RMR]
40,000 to 140,000 in Spain. Population total all countries 65,000 to 170,000.
Alternate names: GITANO, IBERIAN ROMANI, HISPANOROMANI.
Dialects: SPANISH CALÓ, PORTUGUESE CALÃO (CALÃO, LUSITANO-ROMANI), CATALONIAN CALO, BASQUE CALO, BRAZILIAN CALÃO.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.
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CATALAN-VALENCIAN-BALEAR | [CLN]
6,472,828 mother tongue speakers (1996), plus 5,000,000 second or third language speakers in Spain (1994 La Generalitat de Catalunya). Population total all countries 6,565,000 or more. Including second language users: 10,000,000 (1999 WA).
Alternate names: CATALÀ, CATALÁN, BACAVÈS, CATALONIAN.
Dialects: CATALAN-ROUSILLONESE (NORTHERN CATALÁN), VALENCIAN (VALENCIANO, VALENCIÀ), BALEARIC (BALEAR, INSULAR CATALAN, MALLORQUI, MENORQUI, EIVISSENC), CENTRAL CATALAN, ALGHERESE, NORTHWESTERN CATALAN (PALLARESE, RIBAGORÇAN, LLEIDATÀ, AIGUAVIVAN).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, East Iberian.
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EXTREMADURAN | [EXT]
200,000 active speakers, plus 500,000 able to use it, including some monolinguals (1994 T. Erickson). Most speakers are in the northern dialect. 1,100,000 in the ethnic group. Autonomous region of Extremadura (except the Fala-speaking valley in the northwest, Portuguese dialect-speaking strips in the west, and Spanish-speaking strip in the east), and a few neighboring areas.
Alternate names: EXTREMEÑO, EHTREMEÑU, CAHTÚO, CAHTÚÖ.
Dialects: NORTHERN EXTREMADURAN (ARTU EHTREMEÑU), CENTRAL EXTREMADURAN (MEYU EHTREMEÑU), SOUTHERN EXTREMADURAN (BAHU EHTREMEÑU).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.
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FALA | [FAX]
10,500 including 5,500 active speakers in the language area; 5,000 outside, many of whom return each summer (1994 T. Erickson). Northwest corner of the autonomous region of Extremadura, an isolated valley on the Portuguese border called Val de Xalima or Val du riu Ellas, towns of Valverdi du Fresnu, As Ellas and Sa Martín de Trebellu.
Alternate names: A FALA DE XÁLIMA, A FALA DO XÃLIMA, GALAICO-EXTREMADURAN, 'CHAPURREÁU'.
Dialects: VALVIDEIRU, MAÑEGU, LAGARTEIRU.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician.
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GALICIAN | [GLN]
3,173,400 in Spain, 8.2% of the population (1986). Population total both countries 4,000,000 (1999 WA).
Alternate names: GALEGO, GALLEGO.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician.
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GASCON, ARANESE | [GSC]
3,814 speakers, plus 1,283 who understand it in Spain (1991 linguistic census) out of 5,922 in the valley (1991 census). Aran Valley, headwaters of the Garona River in the northwest corner of the autonomous region of Catalonia, Pyrenees Mts.
Alternate names: ARANÉS, ARANESE, ARNAIS, GASCON, ARANESE OCCITAN.
Dialects: BAISH ARANÉS, MIJARANÉS ARANÉS, NAUT ARANÉS.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, Oc.
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QUINQUI | [QUQ]
Many live on the edge of towns.
Classification: Unclassified.
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SPANISH | [SPN]
28,173,600 in Spain, 72.8% of the population (1986). Population total all countries 322,200,000 to 358,000,000 first language users (1999 WA--source for the second figure), 417,000,000 including second language users (1999 WA).
Alternate names: ESPAÑOL, CASTELLANO, CASTILIAN.
Dialects: ANDALUSIAN, MURCIAN, ARAGONESE, NAVARRESE, CASTILIAN, CANARY ISLANDS SPANISH, AMERICAN SPANISH.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian.
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GUANCHE | [GNC]
Canary Islands.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Guanche.
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MOZARABIC | [MXI]
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Pyrenean-Mozarabic, Mozarabic.
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CATALONIAN SIGN LANGUAGE | [CSC]
18,000 (1994 estimate). Catalonia.
Classification: Deaf sign language.
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SPANISH SIGN LANGUAGE | [SSP]
102,000 (1994). 20,000 members of deaf associations (1986 Gallaudet University).
Alternate names: MÍMICA.
Classification: Deaf sign language.
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