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Languages of the Netherlands
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While most people in the Netherlands speak Dutch, there are also some recognized provincial languages and regional dialects.
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch. It is spoken by almost all people in the Netherlands. Dutch is also spoken in Flanders and Suriname. It is a West Germanic, Low Franconian language that originated in the Early Middle Ages (c. 470) and was standardized in the 16th century. Frisian is spoken widely in and is the official language of the province of Friesland. Several dialects of Dutch Low Saxon (Diets-nedersaksisch in Dutch) are spoken in much of the north-east of the country and are recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Another Dutch dialect granted the status of regional language is Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg. The Netherlands also has its separate Dutch Sign Language
There is a tradition of learning foreign languages in the Netherlands:
- about 87% of the total population has basic knowledge of English
- 70% of the total population has basic knowledge German
- 29% of the total population has basic knowledge French