5 Surprising Countries Where English Is the Official Language (And One Where it Isn't)

Belize is the only English-language-official country in Central America. As a popular tourist destination, English is spoken by everyone, and many prices are listed in U.S. Dollars (the Belize dollar is tied to the U.S. Dollar with a fixed exchange rate), making it a comfortable destination for first-time international travelers.

English is not the only language spoken in Belize—nearly half of the population is fluent in an impressive three languages: English, Spanish, and Kriol.

Although Belize was first settled by the Maya around 1500 B.C.E, the country was colonized by the British in the 1600s and eventually became the Colony of British Honduras, which is why English wound up as the official language. In 1981, Belize won full independence, but the official language of English stuck.

Botswana has both an official language (English) and a national language (Setswana), and you’ll find both spoken throughout the country if you visit. English is used for official documents and formal written communications, whereas Setswana is primarily used as a spoken language. Including English and Setswana, there are over 30 different languages spoken throughout diverse Botswana.

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Guyana is the only country in South America with English as the official language. This is a leftover byproduct of British colonization—Guyana gained independence in 1966. Although English is the official language, most Guyanese have Guyanese Creole as a first language.

India has two national languages—English and Hindi. There are also 22 other officially recognized languages that are used by sections of the population, including Bengali, Punjabi, and Urdu. However, just because English is an official language doesn’t mean you can expect everyone you meet in the country to speak it. According to one report, only about 30 percent of Indian residents speak English.

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Zimbabwe holds the Guinness World Record for the country with the most official languages, clocking in at 16. English is one of those languages, as are Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Khoisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa.

Although English is taught in schools and used everywhere in the country, the United States actually has no official national language. According to the CIA World Factbook, “English has acquired official status in 32 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii, and 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska.”

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Caroline Morse Teel is a Senior Editor at SmarterTravel. Follow her on Instagram @travelwithcaroline.