politics not based in linguistics (see Kven language for a similar situation in Norway). The number of speakers in Sweden amounts to 30,000. Saami languages The Saami languages are actually not one language, even though they are commonly referred to as such. In Sweden, five Saami languages are spoken. The history of the Saami languages can be traced back at least 2,000 years. In total, they are spoken by a minimum of 40,000 people throughout the four countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. As a minority language, Saami is an official language and may be used in government agencies, courts, preschools and nursing homes in the municipalities where it is most common. Romani Romani chib, the language of Romani people, has been spoken in Sweden since the 16th century. Today about 9,500 people speak it in Sweden. It does not have a geographical center, but is considered to be of historical importance. Yiddish Yiddish has been a common language of Ashkenazi (Central and Eastern European) Jews since early in their history. The first Jews were permitted to reside in Sweden during the late 18th century. As of 2009, the Jewish population in Sweden was estimated at around 20,000. Out of these 2,000–6,000 claim to have at least some knowledge of Yiddish according to various reports and surveys. The number of native speakers among these has been estimated by linguist Mikael Parkvall to be 750–1,500. It is believed that virtually all native speakers of Yiddish in Sweden today are adults, and most of them elderly. The organization Sveriges Jiddischförbund (Yiddish Association of Sweden) has been the national parent organization for Yiddish speakers and has four local chapters in Borås, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö. It has been active since 1976 and was previously known as Sällskapet för jiddisch och jiddischkultur i Sverige (The Society for Yiddish and Yiddish Culture in Sweden) which is now the name of the chapter based in Stockholm. Romani and Yiddish have minority language status throughout the country and are covered by government obligations regarding their preservation. See also Demographics of Sweden Languages of Sweden Languages of the European Union Language policy References and notes Sveriges officiella minoritetsspråk, Svenska språknämnden 2003. (In Swedish) National minorities and minority languages'', Integrations- och jämställdhetsdepartementet, Informationsmaterial IJ 07.07e, July 13, 2007 Category:Languages of Sweden Sweden