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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 countries around the northwestern Mediterranean basin (also known as the Latin Arch ); Italy , ''' France ''', ''' Spain ''', and on the Iberian Peninsula ; ''' Portugal '''. These four 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 ambigious such as inclusion of Israel . {Link without Title}

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, Galicia and Asturias in Spain 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.


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.

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 to speak only about Latin-American things is considered ignorance-derived by some Latin Europeans, and occasionally offensive.


See also