Editing Neo-Latin (section)

===Geographical spread===
[[File:Hondius - Nova Europae Descriptio 1619.jpg|thumb|[[Jodocus Hondius]]' map ''Nova Europae Descriptio'' of 1619, printed during the peak of Neo-Latin's productive heights]] 
Neo-Latin was, at least in its early days, an international language used throughout Catholic and Protestant Europe, as well as in the colonies of the major European powers. This area consisted of most of Europe, including [[Central Europe]] and [[Scandinavia]]; its southern border was the [[Mediterranean]] Sea, with the division more or less corresponding to the modern eastern borders of [[Finland]],<ref>Ström, Annika and Zeeberg, Peter ''Scandinavia'', in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=493–508}}</ref> the [[Baltic state]]s, [[Poland]], [[Slovakia]], [[Hungary]] and [[Croatian Latin literature|Croatia]].<ref>Neagu, Cristina ''East-Central Europe'', in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=509–524}}</ref>

[[Russia]]'s acquisition of [[Kyiv]] in the later 17th century introduced the study of Latin to Russia. Russia relied on Latin for some time as a vehicle to exchange scientific knowledge. Nevertheless, the use of Latin in Orthodox eastern Europe did not reach pervasive levels due to their strong cultural links to the cultural heritage of [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Byzantium]], as well as [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Old Church Slavonic]] languages.{{sfn|Leonhardt|2009|p=264}}

Latin was taught extensively in the [[United States of America|USA]], during the colonial period on the European model of Latin medium education, but was among the first to allow this monopoly to recede. Both Latin and the Classics were very influential nevertheless, and supported an active Latin literature, especially in poetry.<ref>Cottier, Jean-Francois, Westra, Haijo and Gallucci, John ''North America'', in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=541–556}}</ref>

Latin played a strong role in education and writing in early colonial Mexico, Brazil and in other parts of Catholic Americas.<ref>Laird, Andrew, ''Colonial Spanish America and Brazil'' in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=525–540}}</ref> Catholicism also brought Latin to India, China and Japan.<ref>Golvers, Noël, ''Asia'' in {{harvnb|Knight|Tilg|2015|pp=557–573}}</ref>