Official language after unifying the country in 221 BC. Classical Chinese would remain the standard written language for the next 2000 years. Standardization of the spoken language received less political attention, and Mandarin developed on an "ad hoc" basis from the dialects of the various imperial capitals until being officially standardized in the early twentieth century. According to an undated chart by the American pro-English-only organization known as U.S. English, 178 countries have an official language at the national level. Among those, English is the most common with 67 nations giving it official status. French is second with 29 countries, Arabic is
Russia–Zambia relations and Zambia, by providing the public with objective information on the domestic and foreign policies of Russia, and by providing Russian language training. As of 2013, approximately 1,450 Zambians are enrolled and studying in Russia, making Zambia the largest recipient of Russian government sponsored scholarships in sub-Sahara Africa. Russia–Zambia relations Russia–Zambia relations () is the bilateral relationship between Russia and Zambia. When Northern Rhodesia gained independence from the United Kingdom as Zambia on 24 October 1964, the Soviet Union sent the government of Kenneth Kaunda a telegram recognising Zambian independence, and offered to establish diplomatic relations with the new state.