HISPANOPHONE

The term 'Hispanophone' (in Spanish, ''hispanohablante, hispanófono'') denotes Spanish-speakers and relation to the Spanish-speaking world. The word originates with the name of the Roman province Hispania, which comprised the territory that nowadays cover Spain, Portugal and Andorra (the Iberian Peninsula).
In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The term specifically refers to people whose cultural background is primarily associated with the Spanish language, regardless of ethnic and geographical differences. The Hispanophone culture is the legacy of the Spanish colonial empire and its irradiation.
There are an estimated 417 million Hispanophones globally, making Spanish one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today. Hispanophone areas include Spain (where the language originated) and Hispanic America. There is a sizable Hispanophone minority in the United States. In the 2000 census, it comprised 10.7% of the population over the age of five - over 28 million people &ea=&order=&ll=all. There are also smaller Hispanophone groups in Canada, northern Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, the Philippines (the latter three being former colonies of Spain) and in many other places, particularly large cities.

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See also

See also

★ List of hispanophones

★ Language adjectives