# About Esperanto: history, speakers and culture

Source: https://esperantopedia.org/about/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-10-11

> Esperanto was published by L. L. Zamenhof in Warsaw in 1887. Today an estimated 60,000–2 million people speak it, with its own congresses and books.

**Esperanto** is a constructed international language created by the Polish-Jewish eye doctor **Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof** (1859–1917). He published it in Warsaw on **26 July 1887** in a short book known as the *Unua Libro* ("First Book"), under the pen name *Doktoro Esperanto* – "Doctor One-who-hopes". The name stuck to the language. Read the full [history of Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/about/history/) or the [life of Zamenhof](https://esperantopedia.org/about/zamenhof/).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Created by | L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917) |
| First published | 26 July 1887, Warsaw |
| Speakers | About 60,000 to 2 million, depending on the definition ([all estimates](https://esperantopedia.org/about/speakers/)) |
| Native speakers | About 1,000–2,000 (*denaskuloj*) |
| Official status | No country uses it as an official language |
| Language codes | ISO 639-1 `eo`, ISO 639-3 `epo` |
| Largest organisation | Universal Esperanto Association (UEA), founded 1908 |
| Main yearly event | World Esperanto Congress, held since 1905 |
| Wikipedia | About 390,000 articles in Esperanto (October 2026) |
| Symbol | Green star; green flag adopted in 1905 |

## Who speaks Esperanto, and where?

Esperanto has no home country. Its speakers live in more than 120 countries, with the strongest communities in Europe, East Asia and Brazil, and growing groups in Africa. They meet at congresses, host each other through the *Pasporta Servo* network, and talk online. See [where Esperanto is spoken](https://esperantopedia.org/about/countries/).

## What culture does Esperanto have?

More than a century of use has produced original novels and poetry, translations of world classics, music, films, podcasts and magazines. The [World Esperanto Congress](https://esperantopedia.org/about/world-congress/) has met almost every year since 1905, and 15 December, Zamenhof's birthday, is celebrated as Zamenhof Day.

## Is Esperanto a success or a failure?

Both views have serious arguments. Esperanto never became the world's second language, as Zamenhof hoped, and critics point to its European vocabulary. Supporters answer that it is by far the most widely used constructed language and has a living community after almost 140 years. We cover the [criticism of Esperanto](https://esperantopedia.org/about/criticism/) and how it [compares with other constructed languages](https://esperantopedia.org/about/compared/) openly.

The pages below answer the most common questions in detail, with sources. For quick answers, see the [Esperanto FAQ](https://esperantopedia.org/faq/).

## A saying among Esperanto speakers

<figure class="saying">
<blockquote>
<p>With English, you can get by at any airport in the world. With Esperanto, someone will be waiting for you there.</p>
<p class="eo" lang="eo">Kun la angla vi interkompreniĝos en ĉiu flughaveno de la mondo. Kun Esperanto iu atendos vin tie.</p>
</blockquote>
<a class="more" href="@about/pasporta-servo">Pasporta Servo: free stays with Esperanto speakers <span>→</span></a>
</figure>

## Sources

- Wikipedia, [Esperanto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto) and [Unua Libro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unua_Libro)
- SIL International, [ISO 639-3: epo](https://iso639-3.sil.org/code/epo)
- Universal Esperanto Association, [about UEA](https://uea.org/asocio)
- Vikipedio, [statistics](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Statistics): 389,655 articles on 11 October 2026
- The detailed pages linked above, each with its own sources