
How Regional Languages Are Breaking Spain Apart
Jan 10, 2026
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Spain is often seen as a single, unified country that speaks one language: Spanish. But the reality is much more complex. Across Spain, several regional languages are spoken alongside Castilian. These include Catalan, Basque, Galician, Asturleonese, Aragonese and even a small area that speaks Occitan (France's southern dialect). Each of these languages has deep historical roots and reflects the legacy of the medieval kingdoms that once divided the Iberian Peninsula. In this video, we explore how Spain’s linguistic map came to be. From the Roman Empire and the Visigothic Kingdom, through the rise of Al-Andalus, and into the Christian kingdoms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre and Portugal. Then we compare the languages themselves a bit, from the similarities between Galician and Portuguese to the unique, pre-Latin roots of Basque. Trying to find out is these languages reveal deeper divisions that still influence identity and independence movements in places like Catalonia and the Basque Country today.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Spain's languages
02:07 Our plan
02:47 The Visigothic Kingdom
04:09 Islamic Iberia
05:59 Asturias & The Reconquista
07:23 Fragmention of Catholic Spain
08:47 Learn Spanish with iTalki!
10:44 Initial Split of Latin Languages
11:44 How Spanish languages spread
12:57 What about Portugal & Andorra?
13:51 The Medieval Kingdoms of Spain
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