The African Portuguese speaking countries came to existence as a result of the Portuguese that settled in Africa in the early 16th century. Portuguese is a Romance language that is spoken in Brazil, Portugal and other Portuguese formerly colonized regions. There are approximately 8 million Portuguese speaking people in Africa. Standard Portuguese was developed from the dialects spoken from Lisbon to Coimbra. With Africa being the second largest continent after Asia, the Portuguese Empire had vast of land to spread its doctrine, language and culture in the continent. Find Portuguese speaking countries that are found in Africa on the list below.
African Portuguese speaking countries.
Angola
Angola is situated in the southwestern part of the African continent. Portuguese is the official and the most spoken language across the country. The language that is spoken in this country is called Angolan Portuguese, which is most comparable to the Brazilian Portuguese in so many ways. Approximately 71% of the country’s populations speaks Portuguese and it is the mother tongue of 39% of the population. The language is quite dominant in the urban areas.
Mozambique
The Republic of Mozambique is a spectacular country that is situated in the south eastern part of the African continent bordering the Indian Ocean. The country is known for its culture diversity, tropical climate and for how rich it is in natural resources. It is one of the African Portuguese speaking countries. Mozambique has a population of approximately 26 million and its official language is Portuguese. There are approximately 99% of Mozambicans that originate from indigenous tribes like Tonga, Makua, Manyika, Sau and Chokwe.
Guinea Bissau
Guinea Bissau is a West African country that is situated on the Atlantic coast. The country is known for having a long history of colonialism and kingdoms. Of which among the list, we find the Portuguese Empire that established Portuguese Guinea in 1474. Portuguese is the country’s official language and it is considered to be the language that is spoken by the most educated and elite people in the country. Although Portuguese is the country’s formal language, Crioulo is spoken as the lingua franca and it exerts influence in the rural areas.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is the West Cape of the African continent. It is one of the African Portuguese speaking countries, this came as a result of the country being a former Portuguese colony. Cape Verde’s culture is a mixture of African cultures and Portuguese. Even though Portuguese is the official language and is used in formal situations throughout Cape Verde, Crioulo is the most spoken language of them all.
Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome Principe is an island country that is situated in Central Africa, on the Equator. The country consists of two islands, namely Sao Tome and Principe. Being one of the African Portuguese speaking countries, Portuguese enjoys official status in this country. There are three Portuguese based creoles that are spoken namely Angolar, Saotomense and Principense. French and English are the top foreign languages that are taught in school.
Equatorial Guinea
Continental Equatorial Guinea, which is situated in the west coast of the African continent. Equatorial Guinea’s official languages are Spanish, Portuguese and French. Majority of the country’s populations speak Fang, with ethnic groups such as the Igbo, Ndowe, Bubi, Annobon and the Bujeba.
Portuguese language influence and impact in the business world.
However even though the Portuguese Empire decreased over time and stopped ruling colonies, its influence still stands. Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world. There is a number of Portuguese speaking countries with numerous speakers in Africa, Portugal, America and other regions. Learning Portuguese is a no brainer for individuals that seek to stay current and competitive in the global market. Creating this opportunity for their entrepreneurial world will connect them with colleagues from abroad, new clients, it will also help them built strong relationships with Portuguese speaking investors and partners.
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