Some facts about Spanish

THE SPANISH LANGUAGE is a language of Spain.
Population: 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).
Region: Central and southern Spain and the Canary Islands. Also spoken in 43 other countries including Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France.
Alternate names: ESPANOL, 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.
Comments: Leonese has similarities to Asturian, and may be extinct. 89% lexical similarity with Portuguese, 85% with Catalan, 82% with Italian, 76% with Sardinian, 75% with French, 74% with Rheto-Romance, 71% with Rumanian. Most mother tongue speakers of other languages in Spain use Spanish as second language. The Aragonese dialect of Spanish is different from the Aragonese language. Official language. Dictionary. Grammar. SVO; prepositions; genitives, relatives after noun heads; articles, numerals before noun heads; adjectives before or after noun heads depending on whether it is evaluative or descriptive; question word initial; (C(C))V(C); nontonal. Christian. Bible 1553-1979.

Also spoken in:
Andorra
Population: 24,600 in Andorra, 60% of population (1986).
Alternate names: CASTILIAN
Comments: Bible 1553-1979.

Argentina
Population: 33,000,000 in Argentina (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Belize
Population: 80,477 in Belize (1991 census).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: Radio programs, TV. Bible 1553-1979.

Bolivia
Population: 3,483,700 in Bolivia (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Chile
Population: 13,800,000 in Chile, including 25% Spanish, 66% mestizo (1995).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Colombia
Population: 34,000,000 in Colombia (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Costa Rica
Population: 3,300,000 in Costa Rica (1995 estimate).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Cuba
Population: 10,000,000 in Cuba (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Dominican Republic
Population: 6,886,000 in Dominican Republic (1995 estimate), 87% of the population.
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Ecuador
Population: 9,500,000 in Ecuador (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Christian. Bible 1553-1979.

El Salvador
Population: 5,900,000 in El Salvador (1995), or 92.3% of the population (1982 Barrett).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Equatorial Guinea
Population: 11,500 in Equatorial Guinea (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1553-1979.

France
Alternate names: CASTILLIAN
Comments: Bible 1553-1979.

Gibraltar

Guatemala
Population: 4,673,000 in Guatemala (1995 estimate).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Honduras
Population: 5,600,000 in Honduras (1996).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Mexico
Population: 86,211,000 first language speakers in Mexico (1995), 88% of the population.
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Morocco
Population: 20,000 in Morocco (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Bible 1553-1979.

Nicaragua
Population: 4,347,000 in Nicaragua (1995 estimate).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Panama
Population: 2,100,000 in Panama (1995 estimate).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Paraguay
Population: 110,000 in Paraguay (1979 estimate).
Comments: Used in education and government. National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Peru
Population: 20,000,000 in Peru (1995 estimate).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Philippines
Population: 2,658 (1990 census).
Comments: Formerly the official language. Used by a few families as mother tongue. Christian. Bible 1553-1979.

Puerto Rico
Population: 3,437,120 speakers in Puerto Rico, 90% of the population (1996).
Comments: Some dialects are considered to be archaic. National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Trinidad and Tobago
Comments: Users seem to be second language users only. Frequent contact with Venezuelan fishing communities that lie nine miles off the coast of Trinidad. Bible 1553-1979.

Uruguay
Population: 3,000,000 in Uruguay (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

USA
Population: 22,400,000 in USA, 8.9% of the population (1990 census).
Alternate names: ESPANOL, CASTELLANO
Comments: Population has increased 61% or more since 1970. Official language. Bible 1553-1979.

Venezuela
Population: 21,480,000 in Venezuela (1995 estimate).
Comments: National language. Bible 1553-1979.

Spain