Spanish-Speaking Countries: Names, Capitals and Phrases

---

Spanish is spoken across Europe, the Americas and Africa, and it is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

But the Spanish-speaking world is not one uniform culture or one uniform accent. Vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar vary between countries, within countries and between communities.

If you are deciding which variety to learn, start with the one connected to your goals, family, travel plans or favourite media. You can communicate across varieties, but learning to recognise regional differences will make real conversations easier.

If you want a clear structure for putting your Spanish into practice, take a look at the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp. It’s a 90-day programme with weekly coaching calls, a private community and a focus on speaking from day one.

List of Spanish-Speaking Countries

This guide covers 20 sovereign states where Spanish is an official or dominant language, plus Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a US territory rather than a sovereign country, and Spanish and English are both official languages of its government. That is why you may see the total given as either 20 countries or 21 Spanish-speaking places.

Spanish is not the only language used across these places. Many communities also use Indigenous, African, European, creole and sign languages.

• Spain
• Mexico
• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Puerto Rico
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

Spanish-Speaking Countries: Names and Capitals

Here are the country names in Spanish and their capitals. Proper names keep their capital letters in Spanish, and accents such as those in México, Panamá and Perú are part of the spelling.

Spain

• Spanish name: España
• Capital: Madrid

Mexico

• Spanish name: México
• Capital: Ciudad de México

Argentina

• Spanish name: Argentina
• Capital: Buenos Aires

Bolivia

• Spanish name: Bolivia
• Constitutional capital: Sucre
• Seat of government: La Paz

Chile

• Spanish name: Chile
• Capital: Santiago

Colombia

• Spanish name: Colombia
• Capital: Bogotá

Costa Rica

• Spanish name: Costa Rica
• Capital: San José

Cuba

• Spanish name: Cuba
• Capital: La Habana

Dominican Republic

• Spanish name: República Dominicana
• Capital: Santo Domingo

Ecuador

• Spanish name: Ecuador
• Capital: Quito

El Salvador

• Spanish name: El Salvador
• Capital: San Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

• Spanish name: Guinea Ecuatorial
• Capital: Ciudad de la Paz (declared in January 2026)

Guatemala

• Spanish name: Guatemala
• Capital: Ciudad de Guatemala

Honduras

• Spanish name: Honduras
• Capital: Tegucigalpa

Nicaragua

• Spanish name: Nicaragua
• Capital: Managua

Panama

• Spanish name: Panamá
• Capital: Ciudad de Panamá

Paraguay

• Spanish name: Paraguay
• Capital: Asunción

Puerto Rico

• Spanish name: Puerto Rico
• Capital: San Juan
• Status: US territory, not a sovereign country

Peru

• Spanish name: Perú
• Capital: Lima

Uruguay

• Spanish name: Uruguay
• Capital: Montevideo

Venezuela

• Spanish name: Venezuela
• Capital: Caracas

Talking About Countries in Spanish

“Country” is el país, while “countries” is los países. The written accent stays in both forms.

These questions use familiar singular tú forms. With someone you address formally as usted, use ¿De dónde es usted? for “Where are you from?”

• ¿De dónde eres? – “Where are you from?”
• ¿De qué país eres? – “What country are you from?”
• ¿Dónde vives? – “Where do you live?”
• Soy de ___. – “I’m from ___.”
• Vivo en ___. – “I live in ___.”

Spanish often leaves out the subject pronoun when the verb already makes it clear. That is why Soy de México is a natural complete sentence without yo.

Explore the Spanish-Speaking World

Spain and Mexico are only two parts of a much wider Spanish-speaking world. Choose a variety that gives you a clear starting point, then listen to speakers from several regions so unfamiliar accents do not catch you off guard.

When you learn a regional expression, check where it is used, who uses it and whether it is casual, formal, affectionate or offensive. Country labels alone are rarely enough to tell you that.

For the next step, compare Spanish accents and dialects, then explore Caribbean Spanish or this broader guide to Spanish slang and register.

• Spanish Accents and Dialects Around the World
• 50+ Caribbean Spanish Expressions
• Spanish Slang Words and Phrases