Spanish-Speaking Countries

List of Spanish-Speaking Countries and Capitals

Did you know that Spanish is the official language of 20 countries and one U.S. territory? You probably know that most of these countries are in Latin America, but you may be surprised to learn that Spanish is also the official language of a country in Africa! Interesting, right?

Here is a list of all the Spanish-speaking countries by region and their capitals.

Norteamérica(North America), Centroamérica(Central America), and el Caribe(Caribbean)

Sudamérica(South America)

Europa(Europe) and África(Africa)

México

• Mexico has the largest population of Spanish speakers in the world.
• Día de los Muertos(Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico on November 2nd.
• Corn tortillas are the basis of many traditional Mexican dishes, such as flautasand chilaquiles.
• In addition to Spanish, millions of Mexicans speak an indigenous language, such as Nahuatl and Maya.

Guatemala

• The most popular traditional Guatemalan dish is Pepián, which is a spicy meat stew.

Honduras

• Catrachois a colloquial way to refer to a person from Honduras.
• Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras, is a scuba-diving mecca.

El Salvador

• El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, but it has plenty to offer a nature enthusiast, such as stunning lakes and national parks.
• Pan con chumpeis a traditional Salvadoran sandwich made with turkey meat and pickled vegetables. ¡Qué rico!(How delicious!)
• Did you know that there’s a volcano on El Salvador’s flag? El Salvador’s nickname is la tierra de volcanes(the land of volcanoes)!

Nicaragua

• Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, and the eastern and western halves differ greatly in regards to culture.
• Nicaragua is home to Central America's largest freshwater lake.

Costa Rica

• Costa Ricans proudly refer to themselves as ticos.
• Gallo pintois the national dish of Costa Rica and a breakfast staple.
• At mealtime, you will find the locals at sodas, which are small mom-and-pop restaurants that serve traditional foods.

Panamá

• The Tamborito(little drum) is the national song and dance of Panama.
• The molais a textile art form that originated in the Kuna community on the paradise islands of San Blas.

Cuba

• Many Cubans view their strong African roots as a point of pride and celebrate their African heritage through music, food, and festivals.
• Cubans have a unique New Year's tradition that consists of burning rag dolls to leave behind anything negative that happened in the past year.

La República Dominicana

• Merengue, a type of music and dance, originated in the Dominican Republic.
• Béisbol(baseball) is the most popular sport in the country.

Puerto Rico

• Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States.
• The brightly colored houses and magnificent seaside of La Perla, a neighborhood in Old San Juan, were made famous by the Despacito video.

Venezuela

• El Callao, Venezuela’s biggest carnival, is the most anticipated event of the year.
• Venezuela is home to Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world!
• The arepais a staple of Venezuelan cuisine.

Colombia

• The vallenatoand cumbia, two of the most popular Latin music genres, stem from Colombia's coastal regions.
• Colombian artist Fernando Botero is known for his bloated, oversized depictions of animals and people.

Ecuador

• Las Islas Galápagos(the Galapagos Islands), a remote Ecuadorean archipelago, inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
• Ecuador straddles the Equator. In fact, ecuador is the Spanish word for equator.
• Ecuador is the world's largest exporter of bananas. Can you believe there are over 300 varieties?

Perú

• Peru’s most famous landmark is Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan citadel in the Andes.
• Peru stands out because of its diverse landscapes, such as mountains, desert, canyons, cloud forests, tropical jungles, and even sandy beaches!

Bolivia

• Straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is home to the famous floating reed islands of the Uros people.
• Indigenous women in Bolivia typically wear a pollera, which is a colorful, layered skirt.
• You can find many exotic and strange things at markets in Bolivia, such as love potions, exotic live animals, and llama fetuses. Interestingly, llama fetuses are buried under houses as an offering to goddess Pachamama for good fortune.

Paraguay

• La Verbena de San Juan, a Christian festival in honor of Saint John, includes locals participating in cultural rituals, such as walking over hot coals.
• Sopa paraguaya(Paraguayan soup) is a traditional dish that, interestingly, is not actually a soup! It is a kind of corn bread made with cheese and onions.

Chile

• Chile is home to the Atacama desert, the driest desert in the world.
• The biggest religious festival in Chile is the Fiesta de la Tirana, which honors the patron saint of Chile, La Virgen del Carmen(Our Lady of Mount Carmel).

Argentina

• Lunfardois the name of the slang spoken in Buenos Aires.
• It is commonly said that the rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate, two Argentinian club teams, is the most heated rivalry in sports.
• The Argentine tango originated in Buenos Aires.

Uruguay

• Almost 90% of Uruguay's population is of Italian or Spanish descent.
• ¿Te gusta el fútbol?(Do you like soccer?) Uruguay hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup.

España

• The Spanish culture is rich in traditions, such as la corrida de toros(bullfighting), flamenco, La Tomatina(a tomato-throwing festival), and Las doce uvas de la suerte(the twelve lucky grapes eaten at New Year).
• Tortilla española(Spanish omelette), gazpacho(cold tomato soup), and paellaare among the country’s most popular foods.
• Castilian is the official language of Spain.

Guinea Ecuatorial

• Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking African country.
• The national dance is the balelé.