page_title: Dutch language
hierarchical_section_title: Dutch language
caption_attribution_description: English: Dutch language map Español: Mapa de la idioma neerlandés &#160;&#160; Donde es mayoritario &#160;&#160; Donde es minoritario
context_page_description: Dutch is a West Germanic language. It comes from the Netherlands and is the country's official language. It is also spoken in the northern half of Belgium, and in the South American country of Suriname. A language known as Afrikaans was developed from Dutch by the people in southern Africa and is now spoken mainly in South Africa but also in nearby Namibia. About 22 million people around the world speak Dutch.
context_section_description: Dutch (Dutch: Nederlands) is a West Germanic language. It comes from the Netherlands and is the country's official language. It is also spoken in the northern half of Belgium (the region called Flanders), and in the South American country of Suriname. A language known as Afrikaans was developed from Dutch by the people in southern Africa and is now spoken mainly in South Africa but also in nearby Namibia. About 22 million people around the world speak Dutch.
caption: Distribution of the Dutch language and its dialects in Western Europe
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