It's amazing in just how many countries English is one of the main languages. Everybody knows about Britain, Ireland and the USA. Most people know about Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But did you know that English is also an important language in countries like South Africa and India ?
Why ?
Most of the English speaking countries belong to the Commonwealth. It's a 'family' of 54 nations that at one time or another were closely connected to the UK (as colonies, for instance). This union is spread over every continent ! Its 1.7 billion people account for 30 per cent of the world's population. Here are some 'exotic' members of the Commonwealth :
* Belize * Fiji Islands
* Ghana * Kenya
* Jamaica * Malta
* Pakistan * Singapore
* Sierra Leone * The Bahamas
And have you ever heard of these places, also members of the Commonwealth ?
* Antigua and Barbuda * St Kitts and Nevis
* Brunei Darussalam * Tuvalu
* Samoa * Vanuatu
* Nauru
And did you have any idea that even THIS place is a member of the Commonwealth ?
* Grenada (in Spain !)
of Tanzania
