What is Latin Europe?

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Countries where a Romance language is one of several official languages}}

Latin Europe (Italian/Portuguese/Spanish: Europa latina; Romanian: Europa latină; French: Europe latine) is composed of those nations and areas in Europe that speak a Romance language and are seen as having a distinct culture from the Germanic and Slavic parts of Europe.

The term "Latin Europe" is originally used for four countries around the northwestern Mediterranean basin (also known as the Latin Arch); Italy, France, Spain and on the Iberian peninsula (but not on the Mediterranean littoral); Portugal. These countries are thought to have a common linguistic background (i.e. languages derived from Vulgar Latin) and Roman Catholicism as the prevalent religion. This definition, in a larger sense, also includes smaller political entities of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City (all of these states are members of the Latin Union), along with adjacent Wallonia (in Belgium), Romandy and Italian- and Romansh-speaking Switzerland. Istria county in Croatia and Italian-speaking municipalities of Slovenia, often seen linguistically and culturally integral with neighbouring Italy, and Dalmatia, with its own (now extinct) Romance language Dalmatian, may also be mentioned. On the other hand, in particular contexts, the usage of "Latin Europe" may well be ambiguous such as inclusion of Israel. [link]

Romania and Moldova have Romance languages but are located far from the core of Latin Europe, in the milieu of "Slavic Europe" and Eastern Orthodoxy. However, these countries have shown conscious enthusiasm for recognition as parts of Latin Europe, historically expressed in official regulation of Latin Romanian script in 1860, Romanian spelling reform in 1993, and installation of Moldovan Latin script in 1989. Both of these countries are, currently, full members of the Latin Union.

Note that some parts of the countries above have non-Romance languages and cultural traits distinct from most of Latin Europe:

Alsace-Moselle and French Flanders in France has mostly Germanic roots
South Tyrol in Italy is a predominantly German-speaking area, with German as an official language alongside Italian
Brittany in France is considered as a "Celtic nation", Galicia and Asturias in Spain, and some regions in the North of Portugal (notably in the regions of Minho and Trás-os-Montes) show a Celtic flavour
Some parts of the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia are Slovenian-speaking, with Slovenian having the status of official language alongside Italian and Friulian
Basque is a co-official language in the autonomous regions of Basque Country and Navarre in Spain. The neighbouring French region of Pays Basque shows a Basque identity, even if Basque language is spoken by few.

Latin America is an equivalent term to refer to countries in the Americas with a Romance language. Although the language and cultural features of parts of the society (often the creoles and the Southern Cone) is derived directly from Latin Europe, Latin American countries have partial Latin culture, due to Amerindian and African influence. The use of the words Latin and latino as used in the United States and in the Americas to speak only about Latin-American things is considered ignorance-derived by Latin Europeans, and can be considered offensive.

What is Latin Europe?

See also