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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Europe > Spain > Galician

Galician

A language of Spain

ISO 639-3: glg

Population  3,170,000 in Spain (1986). Population total all countries: 3,185,000.
Region  Northwest Spain, Galicia Autonomous Region. Also in Portugal.
Language map  Portugal and Spain
Alternate names   Galego, Gallego
Dialects  Galician is between Portuguese and Spanish; more similar to Portuguese, which has about 85% intelligibility (1989 R. Hall, Jr.). Many dialects.
Classification  Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician
Language use  Official regional language. Academy of the Galician Language. Decades of development as language of literature, including poetry and essays for all levels of education. Growing sense of ethnic identity. Also use Spanish.
Language development  Poetry. Bible: 1989–1992.
Writing system  Latin script.

Also spoken in:

Portugal

Language name   Galician
Population  15,000 in Portugal (1994 SIL).
Region  North Trás-os-Montes Province.
Language map  Portugal and Spain
Alternate names  Galego, Gallego
Dialects  Rionorese (Rionorês), Guadramilese (Guadramilês).
Language use  There is an Academy of the Galician Language. Tension between those in Tras-os-Montes Portugal and Spain over dialect differences and identity.