It is a very interesting language. I learned a few words in Spanish. Hola- hello… Spanish, also called Castilian, is an Ibero-Romance language. It is the second most widely spoken language in the world. It is spoken as a first language by about 440 million people. It ranks second (in Chinese) and is mastered by 490 million speakers. Most Spanish speakers live in America. Spaniards call their language Spanish (Spanish español). In most of the Spanish-speaking world it is called castellano. Although español is also a common term in some areas. Spanish developed from vulgar Latin under the influence of Basque and Arabic in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (similar to other Ibero-Romance languages). During the Reconquista, this northern dialect also spread to the south. During Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the language spread to both Americas, Micronesia, Guam, the Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Philippines. In the 20th century, Spanish was also introduced in Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara.