Where are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken?

Afro-Asiatic languages are primarily found across the northern part of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and various islands and adjacent regions in Western Asia.1

Within these broad geographic areas, the distribution of the family's constituent branches includes:

• Northern Africa: Home to Amazigh (Berber) and Arabic speakers, as well as the historical range of the extinct Egyptian language in the Nile River valley.23
• The Horn of Africa: A primary region for Cushitic and Omotic languages, as well as Semitic languages like Amharic.23
• Central Africa: The Lake Chad basin is the center for Chadic languages, such as Hausa, which also serves as a lingua franca across the northern fringe of sub-Saharan western Africa.23
• Western Asia: The family is widely distributed throughout southwestern Asia, particularly through the Semitic branch.14

Additionally, historical records indicate that Afro-Asiatic languages were once spoken in areas such as the Canary Islands.3