Spanish language

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Member of the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, traditionally known as Castilian and originally spoken only in northeastern Spain. As the language of the court, it has been the standard and literary language of the Spanish state since the 13th century. It is now a world language, spoken in Mexico and all South and Central American countries (except Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana) as well as in the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and much of the USA.

Castilian Spanish has never succeeded in supplanting such regional languages as Basque, Gallego or Galician, and Catalan. Because of the long Muslim dominance of the southern Iberian peninsula, Spanish has been considerably influenced by Arabic.

Words in English of Spanish origin include bronco, cargo, galleon, mosquito, ranch, and sherry.

Green stands for agriculture, the lush vegetation, and the enduring vitality of the population. Gold symbolizes warmth, the bright spirit of the people, and the golden sands. Blue represents the sky and sea. Effective date: 24 October 1985. >>