The main language spoken in the Netherlands is Dutch. This West Germanic language is the most widely spoken language in the country, with approximately 23 million native speakers. Dutch serves not only as a means of communication but also plays a significant role in the cultural identity of the Dutch people. The language has various dialects spoken throughout the different regions of the Netherlands. Additionally, Dutch is the official language of Belgium (Flanders) and Suriname, and it is also spoken in parts of the Caribbean. There is a strong effort in education to promote fluency in English and other languages.