Portuguese Language
Português
Global Presence Portuguese is spoken on four continents, serving as the official language in nine countries: Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Native Speakers Approximately 250 million people speak Portuguese as their mother tongue, making it the second-most spoken Romance language after Spanish.
Geographical Distribution Only about 5% of Portuguese speakers reside in Portugal; the majority are in Brazil, which accounts for approximately 80% of all Portuguese speakers.
Historical Roots Portuguese evolved from Latin and became an official language in 1209.