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Which African Countries Speak Spanish?
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Locator map highlighting Equatorial Guinea in orange on the west coast of Central Africa, bordered by Cameroon and Gabon, with the capital Ciudad de la Paz marked. Surrounding countries and the Atlantic Ocean are labeled, and an inset globe shows the region's location within Africa. Map highlighting Spanish North Africa, showing the locations of Spanish territories along the northern coast of Africa near Morocco, including Ceuta, Melilla, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Alhucemas, and the Chafarinas Islands. The map also displays surrounding countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, Andorra, Algeria, and Morocco, with the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean labeled. An inset globe in the upper left corner indicates the region's location in Europe and North Africa.
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Locator map highlighting Equatorial Guinea in orange on the west coast of Central Africa, bordered by Cameroon and Gabon, with the capital Ciudad de la Paz marked. Surrounding countries and the Atlantic Ocean are labeled, and an inset globe shows the region's location within Africa.
Equatorial Guinea

Which African Countries Speak Spanish?

Written by
Amy McKenna
Amy McKenna is a senior editor, primarily focused on geography and history matters pertaining to sub-Saharan Africa. She joined Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2004. She was previously employed by Standard...
Amy McKenna
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

In Africa, Spanish is widely spoken in areas of the continent that were colonized by Spain—the country of Equatorial Guinea in west-central Africa and parts of northwest Africa. But Equatorial Guinea is the only African country in which Spanish is an official language.

Equatorial Guinea consists of a small territory on the African mainland, called Rio Muni (also known as Continental Equatorial Guinea), and five islands off the coast (known collectively as insular Equatorial Guinea): Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), Corisco, Great Elobey, Little Elobey, and Annobón. Although Portugal initially claimed some of the islands and coastal areas on the mainland in the 15th century, in 1778 it ceded to Spain two of the islands as well as rights on the mainland coast, and the area later became known as Spanish Guinea. The territory’s administrative status with Spain changed several times in the 20th century, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, culminating with it becoming the independent country of Equatorial Guinea on October 12, 1968.

Map highlighting Spanish North Africa, showing the locations of Spanish territories along the northern coast of Africa near Morocco, including Ceuta, Melilla, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Alhucemas, and the Chafarinas Islands. The map also displays surrounding countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, Andorra, Algeria, and Morocco, with the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean labeled. An inset globe in the upper left corner indicates the region's location in Europe and North Africa.
Spanish North Africa

Spain also had a colonial presence in northwestern Africa, and Spanish continues to be spoken in Western Sahara, Morocco, and Spanish North Africa—small areas on and off the coast of Morocco administered by Spain, including Alhucemas, Ceuta, the Chafarinas Islands, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera. The Canary Islands, an archipelago 67 miles (108 km) off the northwest African mainland, are an autonomous community of Spain; a distinct dialect of Spanish, known as Canary Islands Spanish, is spoken there.

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Amy McKenna