The Instituto Cervantes (Spain)

Promoting and Teaching the Spanish Language and Disseminating Spanish Culture

The Instituto Cervantes is a public institution created by Spain in 1991 for the promotion and teaching of the Spanish language and for the dissemination of Spanish and Latin American culture. It is present in 86 cities in 43 countries on five continents. It has also two branches in Spain, one headquarter in Madrid and one headquarter in Alcalá de Henares. The objectives and functions of the Instituto Cervantes include: organizing general and special courses of the Spanish language and of the co-official languages in Spain; supporting the work of Hispanicists; participating in programs for the dissemination of the Spanish language; organizing activities of cultural dissemination in cooperation with other Spanish and Hispanic American agencies and entities of the host countries; and equipping the public libraries with the most advanced technological means available. According to the institute, cultural interaction between societies serves as a way to facilitate an understanding of the richness and diversity of the Spanish cultural heritage.