The dialect of Extremadura belongs to the southern dialects of Spanish, with strong similarities to the speech from Andalusia or Murcian. However, in northern Extremadura these southern features merge with some Leonese features, forming the Extremaduran language, which is nowadays seriously endangered. In the rest of the territory, the influence of Leonese on the language is marginal.
Historically, Extremadura has long been one of the poorest regions in the country. As a result, many of its people emigrated to Latin America during the colonial era (1492-1820s), leaving a mark on Latin music in the Americas ever since.