The Portuguese language spread throughout many countries in Asia, America, and Africa in the early 15th and 16th centuries. Portuguese was the primary language utilized for communication among native Europeans and authorities.
Portuguese was therefore also utilized by Roman Catholic missionaries throughout Asia. The Portuguese language is still widely spoken in several regions of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and Malaysia.
As a result, anytime the word Portuguese is used, Brazil and Portugal spring to mind first. The majority of Portuguese assets are located in these two nations. As a result, these two states are recognized as the most well-known dialects of Portuguese.
However, there are other additional nations where Portuguese is also spoken. Portuguese translation services are easily accessible online for citizens of any state who speak any language. Users can translate their content into and out of the Portuguese language with the assistance of translation service providers.
Around 258 million people speak Portuguese worldwide. 232 million of whom speak Portuguese as a first language. The ninth most popular language on earth is portuguese. It now serves as the official tongue in a few states and territories. Angola, Mozambique, Portugal, East Timor, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, and So Tomé and Prncipe are a few of these.
East Timor
The population of the state of East Timor is 1.3 million. Out of which 5,600 people speak Portuguese. Southeast Asian island, near to Indonesia, is home to East Timor. Portuguese gained a foothold in this state after the Portuguese occupied East Timor in the 1600s. Portugal formally abandoned the region in 1975.
There are numerous languages and cultures in East Timor. East Timor has two official languages. The country's second official language is Portuguese. Tetun is the first official language. Tetun is thought to be the native tongue of 63,000 people. More than 30 indigenous languages are also spoken in East Timor.
China
China is home to more than 1.4 billion people. Among them, 18000 people speak Portuguese. China has a semi-autonomous region called Macau. And there are many Portuguese speakers in Macau. It is close to China's southeast coast. Portuguese traders introduced this fascinating language to China in the 1500s.
Additionally, Portugal had a significant influence on this language in the region. Portugal gave up power to China in 1999. However, despite the large Chinese population, only 18000 individuals speak Portuguese as their primary language. On the other hand, Cantonese, sometimes known as "Yue Chinese," is widely used in China. However, China recognizes both Chinese and Portuguese as official languages.
Goa, India
Goa is the name of a city in India. Goa used to be referred to as the Portuguese Colony. Portuguese was once a language used by the ruling elite and for official functions. Over 1.5 million people live in India, and 250,000 of them speak Portuguese. In India, the most common languages are Konkani, Marathi, and English. However, there are many people that speak Portuguese there.
Japan
Japan is home to about 126 million people. There are more than 300,000 Portuguese speakers worldwide. The majority of people are unaware that Brazil's population considers Japan to be their home. It's because Brazilian immigrants took the Portuguese language with them to Japan.
Most Japanese people went to Brazil in the 1900s. Brazil's economy crashed in the 1980s. As a result, all of the Japanese immigrants returned to Japan in search of employment.
Source: CCJK.com
