▁official ▁language ( s ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁dependent ▁territ ories ▁with ▁German ▁as ▁a ▁co - o fficial ▁language . ▁ ▁German ▁as ▁an ▁official ▁language ▁ ▁German ▁is ▁the ▁official ▁language ▁of ▁six ▁countries , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁lie ▁in ▁central ▁and ▁western ▁Europe . ▁These ▁countries ▁( with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁South ▁Ty rol ▁of ▁Italy ) ▁also ▁form ▁the ▁Council ▁for ▁German ▁Orth ography ▁and ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁German ▁Sp rach raum ▁( G erman ▁language ▁area ). ▁ ▁Dep endent ▁entities ▁ ▁German , ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁dialect s , ▁is ▁a ▁co - o fficial ▁language ▁in ▁several ▁dependent ▁entities . ▁In ▁each ▁of ▁these ▁regions , ▁German , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁official ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁host ▁nation , ▁is ▁an ▁official ▁language ▁on ▁the ▁administrative ▁level . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁two ▁Slov ak ▁villages ▁of ▁ ▁Kra h ule / B lauf uss ▁and ▁ ▁K une š ov / K un esch h au ▁( total ▁population ▁ 5 3 0 ) ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁exceed s ▁ 2 0 %, ▁therefore ▁making ▁German ▁a ▁co - o fficial ▁language ▁according ▁to ▁Slov ak ▁law . ▁However , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁villages ▁and ▁the ▁approximate ▁number ▁of ▁native ▁German ▁speak ers ▁( ~ 1 0 0 ), ▁the ▁administrative ▁impact ▁is ▁neg lig ible . ▁ ▁Other ▁legal ▁status es ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁other ▁political ▁entities ▁( count ries ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁dependent ▁entities )