The Somali language is a member of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. It is primarily spoken in Somalia, as well as in parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya. With over 20 million speakers, it is the official language of Somalia and is used in education, media, and government. Somali is written using the Latin alphabet, which was adopted in the 1970s to replace earlier scripts. The language has a rich oral tradition, with poetry and storytelling being significant cultural elements. Somali also includes various dialects, reflecting the diverse regions and communities of its speakers.