Editing German language (section)

==Geographic distribution==
===Europe===

''See Also [[German-speaking Europe]] and [[German as a minority language]]''

German is primarily spoken in [[Languages of Germany|Germany]] (where it is the first language for more than 95% of the population), [[Languages of Austria|Austria]] (89%) and [[Languages of Switzerland|Switzerland]] (65%). German is also spoken by the majority of the populations of [[Luxembourg]] and [[Liechtenstein]].

Other European German-speaking communities are found in [[Northern Italy]] (in the [[Province of Bolzano-Bozen]] and in some municipalities in other provinces), in the [[German speaking community in Belgium|East Cantons]] of [[Belgium]], in the [[France|French]] regions of [[Alsace]] and [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]], and in some border villages of the former [[South Jutland County]] (in German, ''Nordschleswig'', in Danish, ''Sønderjylland'') of [[Denmark]].

German-speaking communities can also be found in parts of the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Hungary]], [[Poland]], [[Romania]], [[Serbia]], [[Russia]] and [[Kazakhstan]]. In Russia, forced expulsions after [[World War II]] and massive emigration to Germany in the 1980s and 1990s have depopulated most of these communities. German is also spoken by foreign populations and some of their descendants in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus]], [[Croatia]], [[Egypt]], [[Greece]], [[Israel]], [[Morocco]], [[Netherlands]], [[Portugal]], [[Scandinavia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Spain]], [[Turkey]], and the [[United Kingdom]].

===Overseas===

''See Also [[German diaspora]]''

[[image:NamibiaDeutscheSprache.jpg|thumb|left|Examples of German language in [[Namibia]]n everyday life]]
Outside of Europe and the former [[Soviet Union]], the largest German-speaking communities are to be found in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Brazil]] and in [[Argentina]] where millions of Germans migrated in the last 200 years; but the vast majority of their descendants no longer speak German. [[German American]]s form the largest self-reported [[Ethnic groups in the United States|ancestry group]] in the United States, outnumbering the [[Irish American|Irish]] and [[English American|English]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-format= |title=US Census Factfinder}} The 2006 census gives 17% of the U.S. population, or 50 million. The 1990 census had 23.4% or 57.9 million.</ref> Additionally, German-speaking communities can be found in the former [[List of former German colonies|German colony]] of [[Namibia]] independent from [[South Africa]] since 1990, as well as in the other countries of German emigration such as [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], [[Dominican Republic]], [[Paraguay]], [[Uruguay]], [[Chile]], [[Peru]], [[Venezuela]] (where the dialect [[Alemán Coloniero]] developed), South Africa and [[Australia]]. In Namibia, [[German Namibians]] retain German educational institutions.

====South America====

In Brazil the largest concentrations of German speakers are in [[Rio Grande do Sul]] (where [[Riograndenser Hunsrückisch]] developed), [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]], [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]], [[São Paulo]] and [[Espírito Santo]]. There are also important concentrations of German-speaking descendants in [[Argentina]] (5 million), [[Venezuela]], [[Paraguay]] and [[Chile]] (3 million). In the 20th century, over 100,000 German [[refugee|political refugees]] and invited entrepreneurs settled in [[Latin America]], in countries such as [[Costa Rica]], [[Panama]], Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, to establish German-speaking enclaves, and reportedly there is a small [[German immigration to Puerto Rico]].  Nearly all inhabitants of the city of [[Pomerode]] in the state of [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]] in [[Brazil]] can speak German.

====North America====

[[image:Bundesarchiv Bild 137-005795, Deutsche Zeitungen in Nordamerika.jpg|thumb|left|German-language [[newspaper]]s in [[North America]] in 1922]]

''See also [[Pennsylvania German]][[Plautdietsch]][[Hutterite German]]''

[[German in the United States]] is the fifth most spoken language at home (~ 1.4 million) after [[English language|English]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], and [[French language|French]] according to the 2000 U.S. Census.<ref name = "US Census">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t20/tab05.pdf |title=Table 5. Detailed List of Languages Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over by State: 2000 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2010-03-15}}</ref> The United States, therefore, has one of the largest concentrations of German speakers outside Europe. The states of [[North Dakota]] and [[South Dakota]] are the only states where German is the most common language spoken at home after English (the second most spoken language in other states is either Spanish or French).<ref name = "US Census"/> An indication of the German presence can be found in the names of such places as New Ulm and many other towns in Minnesota; [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] (state capital), [[Munich, North Dakota|Munich]], [[Karlsruhe, North Dakota|Karlsruhe]], and [[Strasburg, North Dakota|Strasburg]] in North Dakota; [[New Braunfels]] and Muenster in Texas; and Kiel, [[Berlin, Wisconsin|Berlin]] and [[Germantown, Wisconsin|Germantown]] in Wisconsin. Over the course of the 20th century many of the descendants of 18th century and 19th century immigrants ceased speaking German at home, but small populations of elderly (as well as some younger) speakers can be found in [[Pennsylvania]] ([[Amish]], [[Hutterites]], [[Dunkard Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania|Dunkards]] and some [[Mennonites]] historically spoke [[Hutterite German]] and a [[West Central German]] variety of [[Pennsylvania German language|Pennsylvania Dutch]]), [[Kansas]] (Mennonites and [[Volga German]]s), North Dakota (Hutterite Germans, Mennonites, [[History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union|Russian Germans]], Volga Germans, and [[Baltic Germans]]), [[South Dakota]], [[Montana]], [[Texas]] ([[Texas German]]), [[Wisconsin]], [[Indiana]], [[Oregon]], [[Louisiana]] and [[Oklahoma]]. A significant group of German [[Pietists]] in [[Iowa]] formed the [[Amana Colonies]] and continue to practice speaking their heritage language. Early twentieth century immigration was often to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Chicago]], [[New York]], [[Milwaukee]], [[Pittsburgh]] and [[Cincinnati]].

In [[Canada]], there are 622,650 speakers of German according to the most recent census in 2006,<ref name="Statcan">{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89189&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=705&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=837928 |title=Statistics Canada 2006 |publisher=2.statcan.ca |date=2010-01-06 |accessdate=2010-03-15}}</ref> while people of German ancestry ([[German Canadians]]) are found throughout the country.  German-speaking communities are particularly found in [[British Columbia]] (118,035) and [[Ontario]] (230,330).<ref name="Statcan"/>  There is a large and vibrant community in the city of [[Kitchener, Ontario]], which was at one point named Berlin.  German immigrants were instrumental in the country's three largest urban areas: [[Montreal]], [[Toronto]], and [[Vancouver]]; while post-[[Second World War]] immigrants managed to preserve a fluency in the German language in their respective neighborhoods and sections. In the first half of the 20ᵗʰ century, over a million [[German-Canadian]]s made the language Canada's third most spoken after [[French language|French]] and [[English language|English]].

In Mexico there are also large populations of [[German Mexican|German ancestry]], mainly in the cities of: [[Mexico City]], [[Puebla]], [[Mazatlán]], [[Tapachula]], and larger populations scattered in the states of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Durango]], and [[Zacatecas]]. German ancestry is also said to be found in neighboring towns around [[Guadalajara, Jalisco]] and much of Northern Mexico, where German influence was immersed into the Mexican culture. Standard German is spoken by the affluent German communities in Puebla, Mexico City, [[Nuevo León]], [[San Luis Potosí]] and [[Quintana Roo]].

=====Dialects in North America=====

The dialects of German which are or were primarily spoken in colonies or communities founded by German-speaking people resemble the dialects of the regions the founders came from. For example, Pennsylvania German resembles [[Palatinate German]] dialects, and Hutterite German resembles dialects of [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]]. [[Texas German]] is a dialect spoken in the areas of Texas settled by the [[Adelsverein]], such as New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. In the [[Amana Colonies]] in the state of Iowa, [[Amana German]] is spoken. [[Plautdietsch]] is a large [[minority language]] spoken in Northern Mexico by the [[Mennonite]] communities, and is spoken by more than 200,000 people in Mexico. [[Pennsylvania German language|Pennsylvania Dutch]] is a dialect of German spoken by the [[Amish]] population of Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.

[[Hutterite German]] is an Upper German dialect of the [[Austro-Bavarian]] variety of the German language, which is spoken by Hutterite communities in Canada and the United States. Hutterite is spoken in the U.S. states of [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]], [[Montana]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Minnesota]]; and in the Canadian provinces of [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Manitoba]]. Its speakers belong to some Schmiedleit, Lehrerleit, and Dariusleit Hutterite groups, but there are also speakers among the older generations of Prairieleit (the descendants of those Hutterites who chose not to settle in colonies). Hutterite children who grow up in the colonies learn and speak first Hutterite German before learning English in the public school, the standard language of the surrounding areas. Many colonies, though, continue with German Grammar School, separate from the public school, throughout a student's elementary education.

====Oceania====

In [[Australia]], the state of [[South Australia]] experienced a pronounced wave of Germans arriving in the 1840s from Prussia (particularly the [[Silesia]] region). With the prolonged isolation from other German speakers and contact with [[Australian English]] some have suggested a unique dialect formed known as [[Barossa German]] spoken predominantly in the [[Barossa Valley]] near [[Adelaide]]. Usage sharply declined with the advent of [[World War I]], the prevailing anti-German sentiment in the population and related government action. It continued to be used as a first language into the twentieth century but now its use is limited to a few older speakers.

There is also an important German [[German-based creole languages|creole]] being studied and recovered, named [[Unserdeutsch]], spoken in the former German colony of [[Papua New Guinea]], across [[Micronesia]] and in northern Australia (i.e. coastal parts of [[Queensland]] and [[Western Australia]]), by a few elderly people. The risk of its extinction is serious and efforts to revive interest in the language are being implemented by scholars.

===Internet===

According to [[Global Reach]] (2004), 6.9% of the Internet population is German.<ref name = "Global Reach">[http://global-reach.biz/globstats/index.php3 Global Statistics], [http://global-reach.biz./ Global Reach].</ref><ref name = "NVTC">[http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/november/internetLanguages.htm  Internet Languages], [http://www.nvtc.gov/ NVTC].</ref> According to Netz-tipp (2002), 7.7% of webpages are written in German,<ref name=netz>{{cite web|url=http://www.netz-tipp.de/languages.html |title=Distribution of languages on the Internet |publisher=Netz-tipp.de |date= |accessdate=2010-03-15}}</ref> making it second only to English in the European language group. They also report that 12% of Google's users use its German interface.<ref name=netz />

Some older statistics included in 1998 Babel found somewhat similar demographics.<ref name = "ISOC">[http://alis.isoc.org/palmares.en.html Palmares], [http://isoc.org./ Internet Society].</ref> FUNREDES<ref name = "funredes">[http://funredes.org/lc2005/english/L3.html Funredes].</ref> (1998) and Vilaweb<ref name = "Vilaweb">[http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/demographics/article.php/408521 Vilaweb].</ref> (2000) both found that German is the third most popular language used by websites, after English and [[Japanese language|Japanese]].