Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, and also spoken by a significant number of people in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. It is also spoken by a large number of people abroad in places such as the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries where there is a Kannada diaspora. Kannada is written in the Kannada script, which is unique to the language and has a rich literary tradition, with a history dating back to the 9th century. It has a complex grammatical structure and a vocabulary that has been influenced by various other languages such as Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil. Kannada is also widely spoken in the Kannada diaspora around the world, particularly in Gulf countries, USA and Canada. It is also used as a medium of instruction in schools and universities and also used in media, literature and poetry.