Galician-Portuguese originated in Galicia at the beginning of the Middle Ages, and was carried by the Christian reconquerors outhwards, that is, to present day Portugal. Its first literary and notarial text date from the 12th century.

In the second half of the 14th century, after producing a splendid literature, the language split into Galician and Portuguese, for historical and political reasons.

It was the War of Independence against Napoleon, and even more the ensuing struggles between absolutists and liberals, that encouraged a certain literary renaissance of Galician, especially of a politicial nature, with pieces in verse and dialogues or prose speeches, which are of interest today from the standpoint of the history of the language and society of the region. The true renaissance did not come till half-way through the 19th century, especially via poetry.

It became the co-official language of Galicia in 1981 but it is also spoken in areas of Asturias and Castilla-León.

Approximately two million people speak Galician, although due to its similarity to Castilian and the multiple interferences derived from a practically universal bilingualism, it is very difficult to make an exact calculation. To this figure we must add the Galician communities living in Latin American countries that use it.

The Real Academia Galega, founded in Havana (Cuba) in 1905, dictated its official standardization although the differences in dialect are not too profound.

If you need more information about the Galician, please write or call to:

REAL ACADEMIA GALLEGA
Tabernas, 11
15071 La Coruña (Spain)
Phone: 34 - 81 - 20 73 08

Thank-you, very much.