United States
In the 2006 census, 44.3 million people of the U.S. population were Hispanic or Latino by origin; 34 million people, 12.2 %, of the population older than 5 years speak Spanish at home.
Spanish has a long history in the United States (many south-western states were part of Mexico and Spain), and it recently has been revitalized by much immigration from Latin America. Spanish is the most widely taught foreign language in the country.
Although the United States has no formally designated "official languages," Spanish is formally recognized at the state level beside English; in the U.S. state of New Mexico, 30 % of the population speak spanish.
It also has strong influence in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.
Spanish is the dominant spoken language in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
In total, the U.S. has the world's fifth-largest Spanish-speaking population.
