58 countries have English as an official language. Surprisingly, the list does not include either the UK or the USA.
In the United States this was a conscious decision of the Founding Fathers. They believed that an official language would be divisive and undemocratic in a multilingual country.
Around 30% of the 18th century population of the USA was German or Dutch speaking. There were also many other linguistic minorities:
- 18 languages were spoken on Manhattan Island [New York City] as early as 1646.
- The Dutch, Flemish, Walloons, French, Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, English, Scots, Irish, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese, and Italians were among the settlement’s early inhabitants. Vincent N. Parrillo, Diversity in America, 2008
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| US states where English is an official language. Light blue is where there are two official languages (Louisiana - French & English, New Mexico - Spanish & English, Hawaii - Hawaiian & English) |
Extended version of this post here (2 minute Medium free read)
Why is English not the official language of the England?