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 deliberate decision made by 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:
- The Dutch, Flemish, Walloons, French, Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, English, Scots, Irish, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese, and Italians were among the settlement’s early inhabitants.
- 18 languages were observed on Manhattan Island [New York City]in 1646.
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These are US states where English is an official language. Light blue is where there are two official languages:
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Extended version of this post (2-minute Medium free read)
Why is English not the official language of the England?