Spanish as a Language
Spanish is a Romance language derived from the 9th-century dialects of Iberia. It developed into a separate language as it expanded through Spain during the Middle Ages. Today, Spanish is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and Mercosur. As a result of the Spanish conquests during the Middles Ages and the Age of Exploration, the language spread extensively throughout South and North America. It is currently the official language of Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Spanish has the second largest number of native speakers in the world, second only to Chinese.
Many dialects of Spanish have evolved in both Spain and the Americas. Castilian Spanish is considered the standard, but there are at least five other varieties in Europe alone. Additionally, South American Spanish has significantly diverged from the original in both pronunciation and grammar. Most countries of South America speak their own version of Spanish.
