There are over 2100 and by some counts over 3000 languages spoken natively in Africa. There are several other small families and language isolates, as well as obscure languages that have yet to be classified.
The Languages of Africa are a diverse set of languages, many of which bear little relation to one another. European language has a great deal of influence due to the recent history of colonization.
There are an estimated 2000 languages spoken in Africa. African languages such as Swahili, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, are spoken by millions of people. Others, such as Laal, Shabo, and Dahalo, are spoken by a few hundred or fewer. In addition, Africa has a wide variety of sign languages, many of whose genetic classification has yet to be worked out. Several African languages are also whistled for special purposes.