The United Nations has declared Feb. 21 International Mother Language Day, stating its purpose is "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world."
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The main languages spoken natively in the Middle East and North Africa include Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Greek, Berber and Hebrew.
According to UNESCO, "200 languages have died out over the last three generations, and of the approximately 6,000 languages currently in existence, over 500 are critically endangered, about the same number are severely endangered, over 600 definitely endangered, and over 600 unsafe."
