The origins of the Albanian language date back to the 7th – 8th centuries AD; it is spoken by more than 6 million people and it is the official language in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. Albanian is divided into two main dialects with significant differences between them. The first, Tuscan (alb. toskë), is the literary standard; it is spoken mainly to the south of the country, while the second, Gegian (alb. gegë), is spoken to the north of Albania, as well as Kosovo and Macedonia.