Latins
Encyclopedia
"Latins" refers to different groups of people and the meaning of the word changes for where and when it is used.
The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy
. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome
, the original Latins culturally "Romanized" or "Latinized" the rest of Italy. In this way the word "Latin" ceased to mean a particular people or ethnicity. Subsequently, other regions, particularly the European ones such as Spain
, Portugal
and France
, became lastingly culturally "Latinized" by the Roman Empire
. Thus, from an early stage in its history, when used as a label for various groups of people, the term "Latin" has had purely legal and cultural meanings, not ethnic.
A millennium after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
of which they were part, these European nations began spreading their Latin-derived languages and cultures around the world through their own empires, especially in the Americas
. The meaning of the term "Latin" has thus been broadened from its ancient meaning to refer to a number of different peoples in Europe
and in Latin America
.
, (Latium Vetus - Old Latium), in the first millennium BC. Although they lived in independent city-state
s, the Latins had a common language (Latin
), common religious beliefs
, and a close sense of kinship, expressed in the myth that they were all descendants of Latinus
. Latinus was worshiped on Mons Albanus (Monte Albano) during an annual festival that was attended by all Latins, including those from Rome
, one of the Latin states. The Latin cities extended common rights of residence and trade to one another. Rome's territorial ambitions united the rest of the Latins against
it in 341 BC
, but the final victory was on Rome's side in 338 BC
. Consequently, some of the Latin states were incorporated within the Roman state, and their inhabitants were given full Roman citizenship
. Others became Roman allies and enjoyed certain privileges.
Gradually, with the spread of Roman power throughout Italy
and Western Europe, 'Latin' ceased to be an ethnic term and became a legal category.
, many Europeans clung to the identity of the "Latins", more specifically, in the sense of the "Romans" as members of the Empire.
In the Byzantine Empire
or East Roman Empire, "Latins" was a synonym for the peoples of Western Europe
and Northern Europe
. Its particular reference was to all people of the Latin Rite, as practised within the churches of the Roman Catholic
faith and in contradistinction to those who practised the rites of the Othodox
and Eastern Christian churches. In the High Middle Ages this included the former Roman Empire areas of western and central Europe, as well as the Christianized areas that adhered to the Latin Rite but had not been under Roman rule; including Ireland and Scotland, the Scandanavian and Germanic regions, the areas around the Baltic Sea and what are now modern Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and some other adjacent areas, and the former Roman areas of England and Wales, the Low Countries, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. This notion of "Latins" is still used by the Orthodox church communities.
The Holy Roman Empire
was founded after the fall of Rome
but brandished the name of the Roman people and honoured the king with the title "King of the Romans
". Despite this, the Holy Roman Empire was largely a Germanic
affair with German kings, although its territory was considerably greater than present day Germany
. At times, the Holy Roman Empire did not even include the city of Rome.
The term was later borrowed, in various variants, by several languages of the Middle East
and southern Asia
, sometimes referring to any European.
. Strong Roman legal
and cultural traditions characterize these nations. Latin Europe is a major subdivision of Europe, along with Germanic Europe
, Slavic Europe
and Celtic Europe.
and Brazil
, but French-speaking countries and regions are also sometimes included. Most Latin Americans have varying degrees of descent from Romance speaking Europeans, particularly from the Spanish
, Portuguese
, French
and Italians
. However, being a Latin is not determined by biological descent from these people as the concept is cultural, not ethnic. Latin Americans are regarded as Latin due to the culture of their countries. Generally, then, people from Latin American countries are considered "Latin" but can be of any ethnicity. Latin America shares with Latin Europe other traits besides language, such as a predominance of the Roman Catholic religion and the Roman legal system
.
Latin America is distinguishable from those parts of the Americas
sometimes referred to as "Anglo America". There is no consensus on categorizing the largely English speaking
state of Canada
as an "Anglo" country, due to the importance of its Francophone provinces Quebec
and New Brunswick
(though New Brunswick is no longer majority-Francophone). Quebec, a former colony of France that is a province of confederal Canada, can be regarded a "Latin American" country, as its culture is largely derived from France but it is located in the Americas.
. Unlike the rest of the Latin world, Spanish
, Portuguese
and French
are not the prevalent languages in daily speech. Rather, these are just one of the official languages of the country or territory. Others have even completely eliminated the official functions of the language yet these languages remain to be a strong minority.
The Philippines is the only colony of the Spanish Empire
in Asia. Hence, the Philippines is the only country in Asia
that has a strong Spanish influence both in culture, religion
, people and in language.
Today, the promotion of Spanish
is mentioned in the constitution as to be of voluntary basis only. The Philippines also maintains an organization called the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language, which corresponds to the Royal Spanish Academy of Spain. It also maintains membership to the Latin Union
because of its historical affiliation with Spain.
During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, moves were done to re-introduce the language in the curriculum.
In people today, the official percentage of Filipinos with Spanish ancestry is unknown. The Philippine Statistics Department does not account for the racial background or ancestry of an individual. The official population of all types of mestizos (Asian, American, Hispanic, etc.) that reside inside and outside of the Philippines remains unknown. Although a study provided by Stanford University claimed that around 3.6% of the population have White or Caucasian ancestries from both Spanish and American colonization, it only genotyped 28 individuals from the Philippines, a sample size far too small to draw conclusions on a population of over 90 million people.
In addition there are different estimates of this mixed descent, either by the parent side, it is calculated that some 3,500,000 to 5,000,000. In other cases it is also estimated with a proximity of 17,000,000 to 36,550,197 people of Hispanic descent.
French is important in the former colony of
Indochina
. Today, the French language
is preserved in countries like Laos
, Viet Nam and Cambodia
.
Unlike Spanish and French, Portuguese
remains an official language to the former colonies of the Portuguese Empire
. Today, it is an official language of two states in Asia
, specifically Timor Leste, Macau
. It is also preserved in Goa
, India
and some part of Malaysia, especially in the state of Malacca
. Portuguese also has a moderate influence in Japanese
.
, Hispanic and Latino Americans
are sometimes referred to as "Latins."
The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the original Latins culturally "Romanized" or "Latinized" the rest of Italy. In this way the word "Latin" ceased to mean a particular people or ethnicity. Subsequently, other regions, particularly the European ones such as Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, became lastingly culturally "Latinized" by the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Thus, from an early stage in its history, when used as a label for various groups of people, the term "Latin" has had purely legal and cultural meanings, not ethnic.
A millennium after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
of which they were part, these European nations began spreading their Latin-derived languages and cultures around the world through their own empires, especially in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. The meaning of the term "Latin" has thus been broadened from its ancient meaning to refer to a number of different peoples in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
Antiquity
The Latins were an ancient Italic people of the Latium region in central ItalyCentral Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
, (Latium Vetus - Old Latium), in the first millennium BC. Although they lived in independent city-state
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
s, the Latins had a common language (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
), common religious beliefs
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, and a close sense of kinship, expressed in the myth that they were all descendants of Latinus
Latinus
Latinus was a figure in both Greek and Roman mythology.-Greek mythology:In Hesiod's Theogony, Latinus was the son of Odysseus and Circe who ruled the Tyrsenoi, presumably the Etruscans, with his brothers Ardeas and Telegonus...
. Latinus was worshiped on Mons Albanus (Monte Albano) during an annual festival that was attended by all Latins, including those from Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, one of the Latin states. The Latin cities extended common rights of residence and trade to one another. Rome's territorial ambitions united the rest of the Latins against
Latin War
The Latin War was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its neighbors the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. It ended in the dissolution of the Latin League, and incorporation of its territory into the Roman sphere of influence, with the Latins gaining partial rights and varying levels of...
it in 341 BC
341 BC
Year 341 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venno and Privernas...
, but the final victory was on Rome's side in 338 BC
338 BC
Year 338 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Camillus and Maenius...
. Consequently, some of the Latin states were incorporated within the Roman state, and their inhabitants were given full Roman citizenship
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
. Others became Roman allies and enjoyed certain privileges.
Gradually, with the spread of Roman power throughout Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Western Europe, 'Latin' ceased to be an ethnic term and became a legal category.
Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, many Europeans clung to the identity of the "Latins", more specifically, in the sense of the "Romans" as members of the Empire.
In the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
or East Roman Empire, "Latins" was a synonym for the peoples of Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. Its particular reference was to all people of the Latin Rite, as practised within the churches of the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
faith and in contradistinction to those who practised the rites of the Othodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Eastern Christian churches. In the High Middle Ages this included the former Roman Empire areas of western and central Europe, as well as the Christianized areas that adhered to the Latin Rite but had not been under Roman rule; including Ireland and Scotland, the Scandanavian and Germanic regions, the areas around the Baltic Sea and what are now modern Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and some other adjacent areas, and the former Roman areas of England and Wales, the Low Countries, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. This notion of "Latins" is still used by the Orthodox church communities.
The Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
was founded after the fall of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
but brandished the name of the Roman people and honoured the king with the title "King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
". Despite this, the Holy Roman Empire was largely a Germanic
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
affair with German kings, although its territory was considerably greater than present day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. At times, the Holy Roman Empire did not even include the city of Rome.
The term was later borrowed, in various variants, by several languages of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, sometimes referring to any European.
Latin Europeans
The term "Latin" is sometimes used in reference to European people whose cultures are particularly Roman-derived, generally including the use of Romance languagesRomance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
. Strong Roman legal
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
and cultural traditions characterize these nations. Latin Europe is a major subdivision of Europe, along with Germanic Europe
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
, Slavic Europe
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
and Celtic Europe.
Latin Americans
The region of the Americas which received its strongest European cultural influence from "Latin Europe" came to be called "Latin America" in the 19th century. The French Emperor Napoleon III is often credited with this naming. The term is usually used to refer to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Hispanic AmericaHispanic America
Hispanic America or Spanish America is the region comprising the American countries inhabited by Spanish-speaking populations.These countries have significant commonalities with each other and with Spain, whose colonies they formerly were...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but French-speaking countries and regions are also sometimes included. Most Latin Americans have varying degrees of descent from Romance speaking Europeans, particularly from the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and Italians
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
. However, being a Latin is not determined by biological descent from these people as the concept is cultural, not ethnic. Latin Americans are regarded as Latin due to the culture of their countries. Generally, then, people from Latin American countries are considered "Latin" but can be of any ethnicity. Latin America shares with Latin Europe other traits besides language, such as a predominance of the Roman Catholic religion and the Roman legal system
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
.
Latin America is distinguishable from those parts of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
sometimes referred to as "Anglo America". There is no consensus on categorizing the largely English speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
state of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as an "Anglo" country, due to the importance of its Francophone provinces Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
(though New Brunswick is no longer majority-Francophone). Quebec, a former colony of France that is a province of confederal Canada, can be regarded a "Latin American" country, as its culture is largely derived from France but it is located in the Americas.
Latin Asians
Latin Asia is a term used to designate the countries of Asia that are heavily influenced by nations whose languages are one of the modern-day Romance LanguagesRomance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
. Unlike the rest of the Latin world, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
are not the prevalent languages in daily speech. Rather, these are just one of the official languages of the country or territory. Others have even completely eliminated the official functions of the language yet these languages remain to be a strong minority.
Spanish
The Philippines is the only colony of the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
in Asia. Hence, the Philippines is the only country in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
that has a strong Spanish influence both in culture, religion
Religion in the Philippines
Religion in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Hindus, Buddhists, animists, Muslims, Aglipayans,Protestant and Catholic...
, people and in language.
Today, the promotion of Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is mentioned in the constitution as to be of voluntary basis only. The Philippines also maintains an organization called the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language, which corresponds to the Royal Spanish Academy of Spain. It also maintains membership to the Latin Union
Latin Union
The Latin Union is an international organization of nations that use Romance languages, with the aim of protecting, projecting, and promoting the common cultural heritage and unifying identities of the Latin, and Latin-influenced, world. It was created in 1954 in Madrid, Spain, and has existed as a...
because of its historical affiliation with Spain.
During the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, moves were done to re-introduce the language in the curriculum.
In people today, the official percentage of Filipinos with Spanish ancestry is unknown. The Philippine Statistics Department does not account for the racial background or ancestry of an individual. The official population of all types of mestizos (Asian, American, Hispanic, etc.) that reside inside and outside of the Philippines remains unknown. Although a study provided by Stanford University claimed that around 3.6% of the population have White or Caucasian ancestries from both Spanish and American colonization, it only genotyped 28 individuals from the Philippines, a sample size far too small to draw conclusions on a population of over 90 million people.
In addition there are different estimates of this mixed descent, either by the parent side, it is calculated that some 3,500,000 to 5,000,000. In other cases it is also estimated with a proximity of 17,000,000 to 36,550,197 people of Hispanic descent.
French
French is important in the former colony of
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
. Today, the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is preserved in countries like Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Viet Nam and Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
Portuguese
Unlike Spanish and French, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
remains an official language to the former colonies of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Today, it is an official language of two states in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, specifically Timor Leste, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. It is also preserved in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and some part of Malaysia, especially in the state of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
. Portuguese also has a moderate influence in Japanese
Japanese words of Portuguese origin
Many Japanese words of Portuguese origin entered the Japanese language when Portuguese Jesuit priests introduced Christian ideas, Western science, technology and new products to the Japanese during the Muromachi period ....
.
Hispanic and Latino Americans
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
are sometimes referred to as "Latins."