The Spanish Empire spread across continents centuries ago, taking with it not only its language but also its culture, religion, and social systems. Although the Americas bear the brunt of this effect, Spain’s imperial legacy reaches even as far as some regions of Africa. Though Spanish is not a widely spoken language across Africa, as it is in South and Central America and Europe, only one African country, Equatorial Guinea, located on the western coast of Africa, just below Cameroon and adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea, has Spanish as their official language. This traces back to the country’s colonial history. Spain started to assert its influence in this region in the late 1700s, first governing the island of Bioko before extending its rule to the mainland. Spanish grew more and more ingrained in the daily life, administration, and the educational system of Equatorial Guinea, which led to Equatorial Guinea keeping Spanish as one of its official languages, along with French and Portuguese, after gaining independence from Spain in 1968. However, Spain’s influence did not just end there; countries such as Morocco, Algeria and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) have notable Spanish-speaking populations. Below, we’ll look at Spanish English countries in Africa.

List of African countries which speak Spanish

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony and the only African Country that adopted Spanish as its official language after independence from Spain in 1968, along with Portuguese and French. Equatorial Guinea has a population of 1.7 million people and considered one of the smallest countries in Africa, and about 90% of the country’s population is fluent in Spanish, although most of the population consider it a second language. The Spanish spoken in Equatorial Guinea is called Equatoguinean Spanish and shares similarities with European Spanish, rather than Latin American Spanish. The Bantu languages of the region have a huge influence on their Spanish dialect. Here are a few differences between other Spanish dialects and Equatoguinean Spanish:

• The “s” and “z” sounds are interchangeable. The words casa (home) and caza (hunt), for instance, will sound similar.
• Spanish definite articles are not used by Equatoguinean Spanish speakers.
• The indicative and subjunctive moods are not distinguished from one another.
• En (in) takes the place of a (to), so voy a Malabo (I am going to Malabo) becomes voy en Malabo.

Morocco

Spanish is not an official language in Morocco, but about 21% of the country’s population of 38 million speak Spanish. The majority of Spanish-speaking people live in northern Morocco, in places like Tetouan and Tangier.

The Spanish protectorate in Morocco was created in 1912 and comprised a southern region around Cape Juby that bordered the Spanish Sahara and a northern region along the Strait of Gibraltar that bordered Spain. Spain gave up control of both of these areas in the 1950s.  Like the British territory of Gibraltar, Ceuta and Melilla, two cities in Northern Morocco, are now regarded as separate Spanish colonies. Therefore, these cities also have sizable populations of Spanish speakers.

Algeria

From the 1500s until the 1700s, Oran, a city on Africa’s northern coast, was a Spanish stronghold. Later, the French occupied it, and their influence on the region took hold.

However, the Spanish Quarter and the old city of La Blanca have a distinct Spanish architectural style, and Spanish has had a long-lasting impact on the local vernacular.  Additionally, Oran is home to one of Algeria’s two Cervantes Institutes. The Spanish government established these non-profit institutions to teach the Spanish language and culture. Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara carried Spanish with them to the Algerian town of Tindouf.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara)

Spanish-speaking people are widely distributed in Morocco’s Western Sahara territory, also known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It was previously part of the Spanish Sahara.

Spanish is frequently chosen for radio and television broadcasts, even though Arabic is Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic’s official language. The language is mostly influenced by European Spanish, with expatriate groups in Spain, the Americas, and Cuba. Many Spanish words were also incorporated into common speech by the local population.

Other African regions where Spanish had a major influence

During the colonial era, the Spanish territories spread over the ports of eastern Africa, the Ifni region, the Gulf of Guinea, the Protectorate of Morocco, the North African Praesidiums, and several archipelagos and the Spanish language was introduced with this expansion.

There are other regions which are part of Spain, but are geographically located in Africa, these regions are: Ceuta, Melilla, the Sovereignty Strongholds (Plazas de Soberanía), and the Canary Islands, Spanish is one of the official languages of these regions and though they are geographically located in Africa they operate under the legal framework of Spain.

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FAQs about Spanish English countries

1. Why didn’t Spanish spread through Africa like other European languages?

Spain’s destabilising civil war at the end of the 1930s and its decline as a global power prevented it from gaining or retaining colonies during the “Scramble for Africa” or in the years following the two World Wars.

1. Why are Ceuta, Melilla, the Sovereignty Strongholds (Plazas de Soberanía), and the Canary Islands located in Africa but part of Spain?

Ceuta, Melilla, the “Plazas de Soberanía,” and the Canary Islands are located in Africa but are part of Spain, this is because of historical conquest, strategic location, and current claims of sovereignty, despite being disputed by Morocco.

1. What percentage of people speak Spanish in Africa?

Approximately one to two million people in Africa speak Spanish. Equatorial Guinea is the only African nation with Spanish as its official language, with 90% of the people speaking the language.

1. What is the capital of the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa?

Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking nation in Africa.

1. What is the difference between Equatoguinean Spanish and Latin American Spanish?

Compared to the majority of Spanish dialects in Latin America, Equatoguinean Spanish is more closely related to European Spanish, especially Castilian Spanish.  Pronunciation, verb conjugation, and preposition usage are some of the key variations.  Equatoguinean Spanish is more consistent and shaped by its historical ties to Spain, whereas Latin American Spanish exhibits clear regional variances.