Talismans 

Languages ​​of Middle America. Indian languages

The first mention of the Spanish language dates back to the 2nd century BC and it appeared on the Iberian Peninsula and has now spread to several continents. It is spoken by more than 400 million people in different countries ah world. Such a phenomenon as Latin American Spanish appeared due to the arrival of the conquistadors in America. Then the conquered countries began to speak the language of the invaders, mixed with local dialects. This is the same Spanish language, it is not distinguished separately, but is called a dialect or “national language variants”.

About 300 million Spanish-speaking people live on the territory of 19 Latin American countries, for half of them it is a second language, there is also a local one. There are many Indians among the population, there are Uruguayans, Guaranis, their number ranges from 2% (in Argentina) to 95% in Paraguay. For them, Spanish has not become their native language, many do not even know it at all. In some countries, archaisms have been preserved - words, appeals and turns of speech that have not been used for a long time.

Today, in addition to Spain itself, Spanish is spoken in Mexico, the countries of Central America - Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua. In the Antilles, there are 3 states with the predominant use of the language - Cuba, Dominican Republic and Costa Rico. On the mainland of South America, there are also countries that use Spanish as the main or second language - Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia. The Rioplat region of the mainland is occupied by the states: Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, a lot of Spanish-speaking people live on their territory (more than 90% of Argentines speak Spanish).


Reasons for language differences in different countries of Latin America

On the territory of modern Peru long time colonizers lived, mostly of noble origin, so the Spanish language in this country is closest to the original one. At the same time, laborers and peasants lived in Chile and Argentina, who spoke more without complex turns and words, just in a worker's way. Therefore, the Spanish language in Chile - its Chilean version - is very different from classical pure.

In countries where the predominantly Guarani Indians lived, the original Spanish was strongly mixed with the local language, borrowing features from them. colloquial speech, pronunciation and vocabulary. This option is most evident in Paraguay. But on the territory of modern Argentina lived the Spanish colonizers, and local residents, as well as immigrants, who accounted for up to 30% of the total population. So the pure language was diluted with both the dialect of the locals and the peculiarities of the conversation of visitors, in particular Italians.

Lexical Features

The vocabulary of the Spanish language has been undergoing changes since the beginning of its existence, borrowing words and meanings from different languages ​​and dialects. The conquest of the territory of modern Latin America was no exception. When the Spaniards came here, the bulk of the population were Indians and local tribes with their own language features. The colonialists, in turn, brought their families, black slaves and their own peculiarities of speech. Thus, all the changes in the vocabulary that happened to Spanish on the territory of these countries can be divided into 2 main groups:

  • Local words included in the Spanish lexicon denoting some features of the life and life of the indigenous inhabitants of the mainland, as well as Anglo-Saxon, Italian or American concepts;
  • Spanish words that have changed in the course of life in the countries of Latin America.

A separate category of words - archaisms, or "Americanisms" appeared due to the transition of some concepts into the lexicon of local residents from the Spanish language. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that in Spain they have not been used for a long time or have changed greatly, turning into a new word.

For example, the word "pollera" used in Latin America means "skirt", but in Spain it is not used at all. This also includes prieto (black color) and frazada (blanket), which in Spanish will sound like negro and manta, respectively.

Thanks to the Indians and other peoples living on the mainland, many words hitherto unknown to the Spaniards came into the Spanish language.

  • Scholars call them indigenisms.
  • For example, papa (potato), caucho (rubber), llama (llama), quina (quina) and tapir (tapir) were not known to the Spaniards at all before coming to South America.

And from the territory of modern Mexico, from the Aztec language Nahuatl came the concepts used by Mexicans today - cacahuete (peanut), hule (rubber), petaea (snuffbox). Many words came from the need to designate objects and plants unfamiliar to the Spaniards before.

Phonetic differences between languages

In the pronunciation of some words and letters, one can also find differences between classical Spanish and its Latin American version. Their appearance is due to the same reasons as new concepts - some sounds in the language of the indigenous people simply did not exist, they did not hear them, and some were pronounced in their own way. In general, the pronunciation in the American version is softer and more melodic, the words are pronounced less abruptly and more slowly.

Jorge Sanchez Mendez, linguist and scientist, describes the general sound of the Spanish language in different countries of Latin America:

  • Catalan (classical) - sounds harsh and authoritative, words are pronounced hard, firmly;
    In the Antilles on the contrary, all sounds are pronounced softly, speech is fluid, flowing;
    Andalusian variant- brighter, more sonorous and lively;
    In Mexico speak softly and slowly, speech unhurried, cautious;
    In Chile and Ecuador- melodious, melodic, sounds soft and calm;
    but the conversation on the territory Rio de la Plata seems slow, calm and unhurried.

The main differences in pronunciation are recorded by the Institutes for the Study of Language, have their own names and are as follows:

  1. The same pronunciation of the letters "r" and "l" if they are at the end of a syllable. This feature is typical for the population of the countries of Venezuela and Argentina, some regions of the states - Puerto Rico, Colombia, on the shores of Ecuador. For example, calamares in transcription looks like this - soldado sounds, and the word amor reads like.
  2. Yeismo Phonetic Phenomenon- the sound of the letters ll in combination, like "y", or like "zh" - in Argentina. For example, the word "calle" is translated as "street" and is pronounced in Spain - in Latin American countries and - in Argentina. It is found in Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in Chile and in the west of Ecuador, as well as on the Caribbean coast.
  3. Changing the pronunciation of the letter "s" if it is at the end of a syllable, this feature is called aspiration. As for example in the words: este (this one) will sound like, mosca (fly) is pronounced. Sometimes the letter is simply lost and not pronounced - from las botas (boots) are obtained.
  4. Seseo - phonetic feature b, found in almost all countries of Latin America and consists in pronouncing the letters “s” and “z”, and sometimes “c”, like [s]. For example, pobreza sounds like, zapato -, and entices would be pronounced like this -.
  5. Transfer of stress in some words to an adjacent vowel or another syllable: pais is read both in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries.

These are the most common differences, there are many more small ones that involve different pronunciations of the same word. Despite these differences, representatives of states in South America have no difficulty understanding the Spaniards and each other.

word formation

Hispanics more often than Spaniards use suffixes in words, the main ones being -ico/ica and -ito/ita. For example, platita (money) comes from plata, ranchito (rancho) comes from rancho, ahorita (now) comes from ahora, and prontito (soon) comes from pronto. In addition, some nouns have a different gender than in classical Spanish. For example, the word actor in Spain is masculine and pronounced comediante, while in Latin America it is comedianta. female, call in Spain la lamada - feminine, in Latin American countries ell lamado - masculine.

The same applies to animals, for which the Catalan language uses one word and most often it is male. And in Latin America, women were also added to them: tigre, husband. - tiger, female (tiger), caiman, husband. - caimana, female (cayman), sapo, husband. - sapa, female (toad).


Basically, new words are formed by using a root of non-Spanish origin and adding suffixes and prefixes to it. Common American concepts are taken as a basis, adapted to a specific situation and nationality. Word-forming particles, or suffixes, are added to them, which give them a completely different meaning: -ada, -ero, -ear, -menta.

All of them have their own history, "nationality" and meaning. For example, the suffix -menta is actively used in the word formation of the Venezuelan dialect, it has a general meaning: papelamnta - a pile of papers, perramenta - a pack of dogs. The suffix -io has the same meaning for the countries of Uruguay and Argentina - tablerio - a pile of stones.

In the words picada (path), sahleada (saber strike), nicada (company of children), "-ada" has a collective meaning or denoting belonging to something. More examples, gauchada (an act characteristic of a gaucho), ponchada (the amount of things that fit on a poncho) and so on.

But the suffix -ear creates new verbs or American nouns: tanguear - to dance tango, jinitear - to ride and other examples. Spanish language on the territory of South America is more mobile, lively and developing than its European counterpart. There is a constant replenishment here vocabulary, the formation of new concepts and turns, due to the movement of the population on the mainland and the arrival of immigrants.

Grammar differences

The grammar features characteristic of Latin America have their own system and are the result of many years of language evolution. The Spaniards have a concept of "grammatical gender" applied to inanimate objects.

In the Latin American version, there are words with the same meaning, but of a strictly opposite gender. In Spain - el color (color), el fin (end), la bombilla (light bulb), la vuelta (surrender), and in South American countries - la color, la fin el bombillo, el vuelto.

Plural endings are also systematically different in different countries: café (1 cafe) - cafes (several cafes), te (tea) - tes (several types of tea), pie (leg) - pies (feet), and in Latin America they will be called: cafeses, teses, pieses, respectively.

  • Peculiarities.
  • Words that only have plural(scissors, trousers, pincers) in the South American version are also used in the singular: tijeraz - tiera (scissors), bombachas - bombacha (trousers) and tenazas - tenaza (pincers). If the noun ends with the letters -ey, then according to the rules of the Spanish language, their plural is formed by adding the ending "-es", while in Latin America the ending is simplified: buey (bull) - bueyes / bueys, or rey (king) - reyes /reys.

In addressing people, the Spaniards use the pronoun "you" - vosotros, in Latin America they turn to strangers - ustedes. And the pronoun "you" sounds like "vos" in South America and like "tu" in Europe.

As a conclusion

The result of the comparison is the understanding that the Spanish language is alive and colloquial, therefore it develops, breathes and absorbs new words, concepts and phrases. It depends on the national, territorial, cultural characteristics of the people who speak it. All differences are the result of the natural process of evolution and in no way affect the understanding of representatives of different countries of the Spanish dialect.

If you decide to learn a language, then you do not need to know these features and memorize them in order to travel to any country in Latin America. Classical Spanish is enough, you will be able to communicate with local residents, and the presence of “own” words is typical for each language, Russian is no exception. In each region of our country, there are several dozen phrases and concepts that are used only within a small area, but this does not prevent us from understanding each other, even living in different regions of the Russian Federation.

Lesson 6. Latin America. Practical work № 1.

The purpose of the lesson:study the characteristics of GWP and EGP, the population and economy of Latin America; characterize the population; show which industries determine the place of Latin America in international specialization; contribute to the education of international feelings, interest in knowing the life of other peoples and countries; educate responsibility, organization, independence.

Lesson type: combined.

Equipment: textbook, illustrations, atlas.

During the classes

I. Organizational moment.

Announcement of the topic and objectives of the lesson

II. Knowledge update.

This topic is the first in the section of lessons dedicated to Latin America. You will get to know the diverse and interesting countries of the region, which play a significant role in modern world. The teacher will tell in detail about the composition, borders, originality of the countries of Latin America. how additional material The lesson covers three topics: "Liberty Island", "Junta", "The Capture of Grenada". The lesson will help you to form knowledge about the population of the region, to identify patterns in the formation of the population of Latin America. The teacher will tell you about the main characteristics of the population of the region, give examples of the largest peoples, cities, countries.

III. Exploring a new topic.

Latin America is the region of the Western Hemisphere located between the United States and Antarctica. Latin America is divided into several sub-regions. These are Middle America (Mexico, the countries of Central America and the West Indies), the Andean countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile), the countries of the La Plata basin (Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina), Brazil. The name "Latin America" ​​comes from the historically prevailing influence of the language, culture and customs of the Romanesque (Latin) peoples of the Iberian Peninsula in this part of the world.

The region covers an area of ​​21 million square meters. km with a population of more than 570 million people.

The countries of Latin America are different in size: the largest country in the region is Brazil, the smallest are in the Caribbean.

The borders between countries pass mainly along rivers, ranges and other orographic features.

Economic and geographical position of Latin America:

1. Proximity to the USA.

2. Remoteness from other regions of the world.

3. The presence of the Panama Canal.

4. Almost all countries (except Bolivia and Paraguay) have access to the sea.

According to the form of government, all countries of the region are republics. Latin America includes more than 33 countries. Some countries are members of the Commonwealth (for example, Guyana, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago). Guiana belongs to France. Cuba is a socialist state.

In the form of the administrative-territorial structure, unitary states predominate, the federal structure has following countries: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Stages of formation political map Latin America:

1. Stage of pre-European colonization.

2. Colonial stage.

3. Post-colonial stage.

4. Stage after the Second World War.

On the territory of Latin America, the Mayan, Aztec, Inca civilizations were located.

The territory of Latin America was mastered mainly by Spain and Portugal.

special status has Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a territory dependent on the United States and has the status of an "unincorporated organized territory", which means that this territory is under the control of the United States (and is not an integral part of them), the effect on the territory of the US Constitution is limited; supreme power belongs to the US Congress, but the territory has its own system of self-government.

At present, many issues concerning the borders and ownership of territories have not been resolved. A striking example is the disputed Falkland (Malvinas) Islands between Britain and Argentina.

. Cuba.

The official name is the Republic of Cuba, unofficial since 1959 - Liberty Island - an island state in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Havana. Cuba is the largest island state in the region, stretching for 1250 km. It is located at the junction of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, forming the "American Mediterranean". The key depicted on the coat of arms of the country is a symbol of what discovered by Columbus in 1492, the island was for centuries a kind of key to the New World. Cuba is a socialist state, for a long time it was an ally of the USSR.

Population of Latin America

The population of the region exceeds 570 million people. The ethnic composition of Latin America is quite complex, which is caused by the peculiarities of the historical development of the region. largest country in terms of population in the region - Brazil (almost 200 million people).

The main racial-ethnic groups of modern Latin America:

1. Emigrants from Europe

2. Indigenous people

3. Blacks

Indian tribes and peoples inhabited the territory of the region before the arrival of Europeans. Among them were such creators of high agricultural civilizations as the Aztecs and Mayas in Mexico, the Incas in the Central Andes. Today, the indigenous Indian population in the region is approximately 15%. A lot of place names in Latin America, as well as in North America, are of Indian origin. The arriving Europeans almost completely destroyed the culture and achievements of the Indians, in addition, the Indian population itself was exterminated.

The second group was formed by European settlers, primarily from Spain and Portugal, whose descendants are called Creoles. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century. European immigration was relatively small, but then it acquired a large scale.

The third group was formed by the Africans, who, starting from the 16th century, were imported by the colonialists to Brazil, the West Indies and some other countries to work on plantations. Three centuries of the slave trade have led to the fact that now in Latin America Negroes make up 1/10 of all inhabitants. The distribution center of the slave trade was the island of Jamaica.

More than half of the population of the region are descendants of mixed marriages:

1. Mestizos (descendants from marriages of Caucasians and Indians).

Mestizos are present in almost all countries of the Western Hemisphere, including the majority of the population of such countries as: Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, Chile, Panama.

2. Mulattos (descendants from mixed marriages of representatives of the Caucasian and Negroid races).

Mulattos make up a significant part of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean (Dominican Republic - 73%, Cuba - 51%, Brazil - 38%).

In some countries of Latin America, other words are used to refer to the descendants of Negro-Indian marriages: in Brazil, “cafuzu”, in Mexico, “lobo”, in Haiti, “marabu”, in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, “garifuna”.

Therefore, almost all Latin American nations have a complex ethnic background. In Mexico and the countries of Central America, mestizos are predominant, in Haiti, Jamaica, and the Lesser Antilles - blacks. Most Andean countries Indians or mestizos predominate, in Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica - Hispanic Creoles, and in Brazil there are only slightly fewer mulattos and blacks than whites. In general, Creoles (descendants of the Spaniards and Portuguese) predominate.

The most complex ethnic composition is characteristic of Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.

Hispanics - a generalized name for the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking peoples inhabiting the territory of modern Latin America and also widely represented in the USA, Spain, Canada, etc.

Most spoken languages ​​in Latin America:

1. Spanish (most of the inhabitants speak this language).

2. Portuguese (Brazil).

3. English (Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, etc.).

4. French (Haiti, Guiana, etc.).

5. Dutch (Suriname, Antilles).

In Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, along with Spanish, Indian languages ​​(Quechua, Aztec, etc.) are considered official.

The vast majority of Latin Americans profess Catholicism, which was implanted as the only official religion; other religions were persecuted by the Inquisition.

Latin America is characterized by a kind of dualism of cultures. Here, especially among Indians and mestizos, the original culture of the indigenous population, which has its roots in pre-Columbian times, is preserved. These are mythological and historical epos, music and dances, such famous monuments of history and architecture as the pyramids and palaces of the Aztecs, Toltecs and Mayans in Mexico, the Inca fortress city of Machu Picchu in Peru, included in the List world heritage. This and more new culture, focused on European values, which also manifests itself in literature, art, music, theater, architecture. In addition to religious holidays, widespread received various carnivals, bullfights, rodeos. Football is very popular. Three main features characterize the distribution of the population of Latin America. Firstly, it is one of the least populated regions of the world with an average density of only 28 people per 1 sq. km. km. The islands have a very high population density. Secondly, the unevenness of its distribution is more pronounced than in most other large regions. Thirdly, in no other region of the world has the population mastered the vast plateaus to such an extent and does not rise so high into the mountains.

Latin America is characterized by a traditional type of population reproduction. And although the peak of the population explosion here was passed in the middle of the 20th century, in some countries of Central America, in the poorer countries of South America (Bolivia, Paraguay), the population growth is still 2-2.5% per year. This affects not only the number, but also the age structure, increasing the “burden” of children on the employed population.

The countries have high rates of crime, social stratification, many live below the poverty line.

In terms of urbanization, Latin America resembles economically developed countries rather than developing countries: middle level its rate in the region is very high (80%), and the pace is now slowed down. At the same time, there is an increasing concentration of the population in large cities, the number of which has exceeded 300, and in millionaire cities (there are more than 40 of them). A special Latin American type of city has developed in the region. Colonial cities were created according to a single plan that Spain and Portugal developed for their possessions. The core of the city was usually the central square, which housed the town hall, the cathedral, and administrative buildings. From this square, the streets diverged at right angles, forming a clear "chess" grid. on her in recent decades superimposed modern buildings.

Largest cities in Latin America:

1. Mexico City.

2. Buenos Aires.

3. Sao Paulo.

4. Rio de Janeiro.

In Latin America, one feature is particularly pronounced, which is also characteristic of other regions of the developing world and is usually called "false urbanization". “False urbanization” is a type of urbanization in which the proportion of the urban population is much higher than the proportion of the economically active urban population employed in manufacturing and non-production areas. The main reason for "false urbanization" is the constant influx of poor rural population into the cities, which the authorities are unable to provide with housing and work.

The city is the capital of Mexico. Mexico City was founded in 1325 by the Aztec Indians. The founders of the city - the ancient Aztecs - originally led a nomadic lifestyle and were engaged in hunting and fishing. Their tribes appeared in the vicinity of modern Mexico City around 1200. Nowadays, Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, and the population of the agglomeration exceeds 21 million people. Mexico City provides almost 25% of the country's total GDP, and is the main economic, political, and cultural center.

The city is located in the southeast of Brazil, it is the capital of the state of the same name. The largest city in southern hemisphere. Located in the valley of the river Tiete, 70 km from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Favelas are slums in Brazilian cities, often located on the slopes of mountains. The favelas lack developed infrastructure and have a high crime rate. Many modern favelas emerged in the 1970s as a result of the acceleration of urbanization in Brazil.

Latin America is provided with almost all famous species minerals, for many of them it stands out among other regions of the world. Here you can find the most unusual combinations of minerals in relatively small areas.

On the territory of Latin America there are large reserves of niobium, lithium, beryllium, molybdenum, copper, sulfur, antimony, silver, bauxite, oil, etc.

The richness and diversity of minerals in Latin America is explained by the peculiarities of the geological and tectonic structure of its vast territory. Basins and deposits of ferrous and non-ferrous ores, especially iron ore, lithium, molybdenum, copper, nickel, tin, as well as gold and silver, are connected with the crystalline basement of the South American Platform and the folded belt of the Cordillera and Andes, which primarily attracted the Spanish conquistadors. . And in the marginal and intermountain troughs of this belt, large deposits of oil and natural gas were formed.

The largest oil and gas basins in the region are located in Venezuela and Mexico, as well as in Ecuador and Colombia. In Venezuela, this is the Maracaibo basin, located in an intermountain depression overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Oil here lies both on land and within the waters of Lake Maracaibo. According to some reports, Venezuela ranks second in the world in terms of oil reserves, second only to Saudi Arabia. In Mexico, it also occurs both on land and on the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico.

Latin America is also rich in bauxites, the formation of which is associated with the lateritic weathering crust, as well as in many non-metallic minerals, especially saltpeter and sulfur. Brazil, Jamaica, Suriname, and Venezuela have the largest bauxite reserves.

The Andes are especially rich in ore minerals. A unique tin belt stretched across the Andes of Bolivia, Peru and the surrounding regions of Brazil. Tin deposits are adjacent to antimony deposits (Bolivia). Peru and Mexico have the largest resources of lead-zinc ores. In these so-called mesothermal depths, mainly copper and polymetal ores were deposited. These deposits are characterized by very rich accumulations of ore. A striking example of this type is the well-known Serre de Pasco field in Peru. In addition, the Andes have large reserves of silver, copper and other metals.

Ore minerals of the Andes:

1. Copper.

2. Tin.

3. Iron.

4. Lead-zinc.

5. Tungsten.

6. Antimony.

7. Molybdenum.

8. Noble metals.

In Latin America, a copper belt is stretched (Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia). 2/3 of all copper reserves are in Chile. In this country, the export of copper is one of the main items of income.

Large reserves of saltpeter are found in the Atacama Desert.

Precious stones are mined in Colombia (emeralds), Peru, Brazil.

Large coal deposits are found in Brazil and Colombia.

Latin America is very rich in high quality iron ores. The most important deposits are confined to the metamorphosed rocks of the Precambrian continental shield of South America. In the uncompetitive first place is Brazil. One of the world's largest iron ore deposits - 18 billion tons - is Carajas in the state of Para, which, according to preliminary estimates, twice the entire ore potential of the state of Minas Gerais, where almost all other exploited deposits are currently located. In addition, large reserves iron ore Bolivia and Mexico have.

The richness and diversity of renewable natural resources of the region is associated primarily with its position mainly in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical climatic zones.

Favorable agro-climatic resources, however, in some years, a detrimental effect on Agriculture provides penetration of cold air masses from South. In addition, the annual distribution of precipitation adds its own important adjustments to this picture, and along with zones of excessive moisture (Amazonia) in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, there are areas where artificial irrigation is needed. In addition, it is Latin America that is characterized by the periodic repetition of such a natural disaster as the El Niño phenomenon, which is associated with anomalous warming of usually rather cool coastal regions. surface water Pacific Ocean.

By availability water resources Latin America ranks first among the major regions of the world, and in terms of economic hydropower potential, it is second only to foreign Asia.

The great wealth of Latin America is its forests, which occupy more than 1/2 of the entire territory of the region. It is no coincidence that Latin America from space appears to be a green continent. In terms of per capita forest resources, Latin America ranks first in the world. Brazil has the largest forest resources (second only to Russia), Venezuela, Colombia. Very rich and varied too animal world region.

IV. Practical work

To identify the characteristics of the population and economy of Latin American countries on the example of leading countries belonging to different regions.

1 option: Compile an economic and geographical description of Brazil.

Option 2: Make an economic and geographical description of Chile.

3 option: Compile an economic and geographical description of Cuba.

4 option: Compile an economic and geographical description of Argentina.

CHARACTERISTICS PLAN.

1. Territory, borders, position, political system.

2. Natural resources and conditions: richness and diversity.

3. Population: number, reproduction, ethnic composition, distribution, features of urbanization.

4. Economy: leading branches, contradictions in development.

5. Foreign economic relations.

V. Consolidation of the studied material.

    What regions (subregions) are distinguished in Latin America?

    Name the features of the EGP of Latin America.

    Name the largest ethnic groups in Latin America.

    Give examples of the largest cities in Latin America.

    What are the features of accommodation mineral resources in Latin America?

    Give examples of Latin American countries and specific resources.

VI. Homework.

We have already printed, according to the number of people who speak them. But not only is it interesting, it is also interesting to know the number of countries and territories where they are spoken.

Here is a list of the ten most widely spoken languages ​​in the world by the number of countries in which they are spoken.

1. English - 59 countries

Previously, the British Empire included a huge number of colonies, and English became the most widely spoken language in the world. Along with the UK and the United States, the following countries speak English: Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Zambia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta , Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago , Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

2. French - 29 countries

The French also colonized a number of countries at one time African continent. French widely distributed in countries such as Andorra, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Republic, Democratic Republic Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Switzerland, Togo and Vanuatu, naturally in France itself.

3. Arabic - 25 countries

Arab world covers most Western Asia and North Africa. Arabic is spoken in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Zambia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

4. Spanish - 24 countries

There was a time when Spain ruled half the world, all of Central and South America, with the exception of Brazil. Spanish is still spoken in the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

5. Russian - 12 countries

Through existence Soviet Union, except for Russia itself, Russian is understood, and sometimes spoken as a native language in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Russian is the most widely spoken of Slavic languages and is considered the largest vernacular language in Europe.

6. Portuguese - 11 countries

Portugal was once a great power, along with Spain. Even before 1999, Macau, which lies deep in the heart of Asia, was a Portuguese colony. Until now, Portuguese is often spoken in the following countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Goa, Daman and Diu, and even in India .

7. German - 7 countries

Germany is located in the center of Europe. Its central location, along with its economic power and former military glory, have been able to spread its language to countries such as Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland. In the South Tyrol region of Italy, German is also spoken. There is also a community in Belgium who still speaks the language.

8. Italian - 6 countries

Italians have a beautiful language and are spoken even outside of native Italy. The Vatican, being a state based in Rome, obviously speaks the language, as well as other countries that can speak and understand Italian San Marino and Switzerland. The former Yugoslav states of Croatia and Slovenia have areas that also speak Italian.

9. Chinese - 4 countries

In terms of the number of people who speak this language, Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. With a population of over a billion people, this is obvious. It is also known as Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese. Its other names are Mandarin, Guoyu, Modern Standard Mandarin, and Putonghua. It is widely spoken in the People's Republic of China and in Taiwan. It is also one of the four official languages ​​of Singapore. Chinese is also understood and spoken in Myanmar.

10. Dutch - 3 countries

Dutch is a West Germanic language spoken by the majority of the population in the Netherlands. It is also used by about 60 percent of the population of neighboring Belgium and the former Dutch colony of Suriname in South America. Dutch is also spoken in the Caribbean, and is widely used in countries such as Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, as well as parts of Indonesia.

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There are about 7,469 languages ​​in the world in 2015. But which one is the most common among them? According to the well-known reference book Ethnologue, which is developed and published in print and in electronic format international non-profit organization SIL International, the list of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world (by the number of speakers) is as follows.

Malay

Malay (including Indonesian) is a language that includes several related languages ​​spoken on the island of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, in the coastal regions of the island of Borneo, Indonesia and Thailand. He speaks on it 210 million Human. It is the official language of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and one of the four official languages ​​of Singapore, as well as a working language in the Philippines and East Timor.


Bengali is the ninth most spoken language in the world. It is the official language of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. It is spoken in parts of the Indian states of Jharkhand, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is the second most spoken language in India. Total speaking in the world - 210 million Human.


French is the official language of France and 28 other countries (Belgium, Burundi, Guinea, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Republic of the Congo, Vanuatu, Senegal, etc.), which is spoken by about 220 million Human. It is the official and administrative language of many communities and international organizations such as the European Union (one of the six official languages), International Olympic Committee, the United Nations and others.


Portuguese is the language spoken more than 250 million people living in Portugal and former Portuguese colonies: Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome, Principe, East Timor and Macau. In all these countries, it is the official language. Also common in the United States of America, France, South Africa, in Bermuda, the Netherlands, Barbados and Ireland. It is one of the official languages ​​of the European Union and other international organizations.


Russian is the official language of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Widely distributed in Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia. To a lesser extent in the countries that were part of the Soviet Union. It is one of the six official languages ​​of the United Nations and the most widely spoken language in Europe. All over the world speaks Russian 290 million Human.


Hindi is the official language of India and Fiji and is spoken 380 million people, predominantly in the central and northern regions of India. In the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and the capital Delhi, Hindi is the official language. government controlled and the main language of instruction in schools. It is also found in Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Suriname, the Republic of Mauritius and the Caribbean.


The fourth place in the ranking of the most popular languages ​​​​of the world is Arabic. It is the official language of all Arab countries, as well as Israel, Chad, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Comoros and the unrecognized state of Somaliland. It is spoken all over the world 490 million Human. Classical Arabic (the language of the Quran) is the liturgical language of 1.6 billion Muslims and one of the official languages ​​of the United Nations.


Spanish or Castilian is a language that originated in the medieval kingdom of Castile on the territory of modern Spain and spread during the Age of Discovery primarily in North and South America, as well as in parts of Africa and Asia. It is the official language of Spain and 20 other countries (Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Panama, Peru, etc.). The only people in the world who speak Spanish 517 million people. It is also used as the official and working language by many international organizations, including European Union, UN, Union of South American Nations, etc.


English is the official language of Great Britain, the USA, Ireland, Canada, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, as well as some Asian countries. It is widely distributed in parts of the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia. In total, English is the official language of almost 60 sovereign states and many global and regional international organizations. The total number of speakers in the world is 840 million Human.


The most widely spoken language in the world is Mandarin Chinese, known as Putonghua or Mandarin, a speech that combines Chinese dialects and is spoken in the north and southwest of China. It is the official language of the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and Singapore. In addition, it is common in places where the Chinese diaspora lives: in Malaysia, Mozambique, Mongolia, the Asian part of Russia, Singapore, the USA, Taiwan and Thailand. According to the Ethnologue handbook on given language they say 1.030 million people.

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And Africa), is the fourth continent that has become known to Europeans.

The exact time when the first contacts between the inhabitants of the Old and New Worlds took place is still unknown. Some scientists believe that this happened several millennia ago. The fundamental possibility of such voyages was proved by Thor Heyerdahl during the expedition on the papyrus raft "Ra". However real evidence there are no such contacts.

As far as we know now, the northeast coast of America was discovered about a thousand years ago by the Normans (the voyage of Leif Eriksson - 1000 AD). However, the Norman settlements in America ("Vinland") were short-lived and left almost no trace.

For Europeans, the colonization of America was opened on October 12, 1492. Formally sought new way in . Some researchers believe that Columbus had information about the existence of certain lands where he found America, and even had a secret map on which they were shown (the Knights Templar). However, there is no evidence for this.

The mainland was named America in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller in the popular book Introduction to Cosmography.

The travelers were followed by the conquistadors. In 1519, the campaign of Hernando Cortes began, culminating in the conquest of the Aztec state in modern Mexico by the Spaniards. In 1531, Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca state, located within modern Bolivia and.

Gradually New World was covered by colonial possessions. At the same time, South and, as well as ended up mainly in the hands of the Portuguese, and North America, north of - in the hands of the British and French. The islands of the West Indies, where the plantation began to develop, were divided between the Spaniards, the British, the French, and the Dutch.

In 1776 independence was proclaimed, in the 19th century the Spanish colonies gained independence. Here gradually formed political independent states. The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded in 1948 under the auspices of the United States. After World War II, most of the British and French colonies in the West Indies gained independence. In total, America has about 36 sovereign states.

By the time of discovery by Europeans, America was inhabited by Indian peoples who were located on different stages development, but related to each other. The main part of the population was concentrated in the mountainous regions of southern Mexico and where agricultural civilizations developed, distinguished by a relatively high level of socio-economic development. Most of the territory, both Northern and was inhabited by small tribes that did not go beyond the primitive communal formation. The number of the indigenous population, apparently, reached by this time 80-90 million people.

The origin of the Indians remained a mystery for a long time. Hypotheses have been put forward that the original population of America is autochthonous, that is, it originated here. However, no indication has yet been found that there was a center of origin for humans in the Americas. Not found here and the remains of great apes. Therefore, it is now recognized that the first people came here from Asia and the settlement of America went from north to south.

One of the versions (according to US scientists): back in the last century, it was known that all Indians of North America have only two blood groups - the first and second, and the Indians of South America have only the first. With the help of DNA analysis, it was possible to find out - the first people who sailed to America and laid the foundation for the Indian peoples were 70 men with their families in the amount of no more than 200 people - obviously, one tribe united by a common relationship. Genes close to the genes of the American Indians can now be found in representatives of the indigenous peoples of Siberia.

The settlement of the New World was, apparently, the result of several people along the Bering Bridge, which existed 6 times during the Ice Age. In particular, in the periods between 70 and 35 and between 25 and 10 millennia BC. the first people appeared in America 25-35 thousand years ago (possibly earlier). In particular, the anthropologist L. Leakey believed that the first people from Asia appeared in America 50-100 thousand years ago.

It is only known for certain that much later than the Indians, the Aleutian Eskimos came to America, forming another group of the natives of the New World. According to anthropological features, they differ markedly from the Indians and are closer to the North. From the northwestern part of North America, they settled throughout the north of the mainland and in.

The Indians have developed many tribes over the course of millennia of development. By row common features they are grouped into three large groups:

North American, South American, Central American.

North American Indians are tall, with an "aquiline nose" and a straight slit in the eyes. The Indians of Central and South America retained signs of the Paleo-American race, including small stature.

The indigenous population of America was also distinguished by a very large linguistic fragmentation. Scientists have identified more than 2 thousand languages ​​in the New World. The presence of similar features allows us to reduce them into 110 family groups, which in turn form 5 large linguistic groups:

Macro-Caribbean, Macroarawak, Macroquechua, Macromaia, Basque-dene.

In formation modern population America, a very important place belongs to immigrants from Europe, as well as African slaves, brought in the 16-19 centuries to work on plantations. About 12 million Africans turned out to be in America - representatives of various nationalities (Bantu, Yoruba, Ewe, Hausa, etc.); in some parts of the Americas they eventually became the predominant part of the population.

A significant part of the Indians was either exterminated or died from disease. Only relatively large and developed peoples (Quechua, Aymara, Guarani, Indian peoples of southern Mexico), as well as small Indian tribes in the forests of the basins and Orinoco, were able to partially preserve the originality of their culture and ethnic territory. Small groups of Indians who have retained a traditional way of life are found in North America - Far North and on reservations.

Ethnic composition of European settlers in different parts America was different. In North America, until the middle of the 19th century, immigrants from Northwestern Europe dominated, primarily from. In Mexico and in almost the entire basis of the settlers were Spaniards, and in -.

English became the predominant language in the United States and Canada, and Spanish became the predominant language south of the Rio Grande. Spanish is the native language of Mexicans, almost all the peoples of Central America, South America, several peoples of the West Indies and a significant number of Indians (mainly in Mexico). The total number of speakers is approximately 200 million people. The Portuguese language is common among Brazilians. French is spoken by French Canadians and residents of French possessions in the West Indies (about 15 million people in total). For more than 8 million inhabitants of America, the native is (USA,). Among the languages ​​of the Germanic group, English is the most common in America (more than 200 million speakers).

In Latin America, since colonial times, there has been an intensive mixing of races, accompanied by the appearance of groups of people of mixed ethnic origin, primarily mestizos, and in a number of countries, mulattoes. Now in some countries mestizos make up the predominant part of the population. In the United States and Canada, Indians now make up less than 0.5% of the population, while in countries like this, more than half of it. In Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and a number of other countries, the main part of the inhabitants are mestizos, and in the West Indies and Brazil - blacks and mulattos.

Therefore, the division of America into two main socio-cultural and ethnic areas gradually developed: which includes countries with a predominance of English - the USA and Canada, and which includes, along with South America, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies (this part of the mainland of North America often referred to as Central America).
The total population of America in 2000 was over 800 million. There are about 300 million in North America and over 500 million in Latin America. However, the growth trends in North and Latin America are different: they are at different stages of demographic development.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the indigenous population was several times larger than the population of the North. In the following centuries, the situation gradually changed. The high and powerful flow of immigrants to North America led to the fact that it overtook Latin America in terms of the number of inhabitants.

However, in the 60-70s of the 20th century, the birth rate in North America began to decline rapidly and fell to 15-17 per thousand. Meanwhile in Latin America a sharp decline mortality was not accompanied at all which is from 30 to 40 ppm. Accordingly, the natural increase in North America is about 7 ppm, and in Latin America - 20-25 ppm.

If, in terms of the nature of population dynamics and its age structure, North America is closest to, then Latin America has much in common with Asia and. More than half of the Latin American population is under the age of 20.

North America - the most region the globe. Latin America is inferior to it in this, but the level of urbanization in it is rapidly increasing. In terms of the share of the urban population, now already close to 80%, it is noticeably ahead of Asia and Africa. Many millionaire cities have grown here, and such centers as Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo are among the 20 largest urban agglomerations of the Earth. However, the growth of cities is largely due not to the development of urban functions and industry, but to agrarian overpopulation and the departure of landless peasants to the city.