English is a West Germanic language heavily influenced, in comparison with other Germanic languages, by French and Latin. It is the dominant language in the United Kingdom as well as many former territories of the British Empire (both outside and inside the current Commonwealth of Nations) such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, and others, particularly those in the Anglophone Caribbean. It is also an important or official language in many countries formerly under British or American rule, such as India, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Philippines.
English is currently one of the most widely spoken and written languages worldwide, with more than 400 million native speakers. Only Chinese and Hindi have more native speakers while Spanish has a similar number. English is also the most widely spoken of the Germanic languages. English is the dominant language in many parts of the world largely due to the British Empire and continued influence of the British Commonwealth.