FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
Europe is home to 44% of the world’s French-speaking population. Aside from France, French is spoken in Belgium (45% of the population), in Switzerland (20% of the population) and in Luxembourg.
In the European Union, to which we add Switzerland, French is the second largest native language with 71 million speakers, placing it just behind German (90 million German speakers) but ahead of English (61 million).
Europe
France (65 073 482 in 2008) [ FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
Europe is home to 44% of the world’s French-speaking population. Aside from France, French is spoken in Belgium (45% of the population), in Switzerland (20% of the population) and in Luxembourg.
In the European Union, to which we add Switzerland, French is the second largest native language with 71 million speakers, placing it just behind German (90 million German speakers) but ahead of English (61 million).
Europe
Belgium
(French Community of Belgium, 44% of the population: 4 200 000 / 10 666 866 in 2008.)
Switzerland Suisse romande) 1 480 000 / 7 581 520 in 2008.)
- Luxembourg (430 000/ 440 000 in 2000.)
- Andorra (5 000 hab.) & Monaco (32 796 in 2000[3])
· Italy (Val d'Aoste) (100 000 hab.)
· Jersey (English and French)
· Guernesey (English and French)
Africa is the continent where French is most used.
· In North Africa, first of all, where French is a majority language, 64% of Tunisians, 57% of Algerians, and 41.5% of Moroccans speak it. Apart from Algeria where hundreds of Moslems are becoming Christians; Only about 250 known baptized Christians out of 40 million population.; 98% Moslems
· Algeria
· Morocco
· Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa, in 1997, included close to 29.5 million French speakers, of which a third were located in equatorial West Africa, 29% in tropical Africa, a quarter in equatorial East Africa, and finally 14% in the African Sahel.
WEST
· Senegal (2 000 000 / 12 853 259 in 2008)
· Mali
· Guinea
· Togo
· Benin
· Niger
· Cape Verde
· Guinea Bissau
Central
· Gabon
· Congo
· Cameroon
·
· Chad
· Central African Republic
· Rwanda
· Equatorial Guinea
· Burundi
East
· Djibouti ( 100 000 people completely Moslems)
In the Indian Ocean, a quarter of the population is francophone, or 18 million people.
· Comoros
· Mauritius
· Reunion
· Mayotte
The Another large francophone community can be found in North America. The largest francophone minority in the world lives in Canada, with 9.6 of a total 27.3 inhabitants speaking the language (according to 1997 estimates).
· Canada
American francophones are principally concentrated in Quebec where they represent more than 80% of the population.
o Quebec, 7 744 530 French speakers in 2008. One of the least evangelized areas of North America, as well as one of the most politically volatile, is Quebec. The influence of France is still strong here; as the province’s French speakers are linguistically separate from the rest of Canada.
o Quebec, 7 744 530 French speakers in 2008. One of the least evangelized areas of North America, as well as one of the most politically volatile, is Quebec. The influence of France is still strong here; as the province’s French speakers are linguistically separate from the rest of Canada.
· ST Pierre & Miquelon (French territories off the Canadian coast)
Also, in the United States: around 2, 000, 000 speak French
· New England : over a million French speakers
Close to 500,000 people speak
French in Louisiana
French in Louisiana
· Louisiana (school teachers are imported from France in some districts)
· Florida : Thousands of French Canadians are moving there. Many haitians live there.
- Additionally, there are French speakers to be found in Haiti where nearly 7.4 million inhabitants are francophone and the extra-territorial departments (Les déptartements d’outre mer (DOM): Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guyana)
· Haïti
Other Islands Caribbean Islands
South America : 70,000
- Also in the Arab world, Lebanon and its 1.5 million French speakers remains a central pivot of the francophone world.
- Lebanon
· Asia, it is in Indo-China that French speakers reside in the greatest numbers, especially in Vietnam with some 375,000 speakers.
- India (Pondichéry, Karikal,)
- Viêt Nam
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Turky
- Israel among French, Algreians…
In Oceania :
- Vanuatu
- French Polynesia
- New Caledonia
ceania :
- Vanuatu
- French Polynesia
- New Caledonia
The International Francophone Organization (L'Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF)) is comprised of states that share certain linguistic values revolving around the French language. 50 countries are members and 10 others states with observer status participate.
Each year, March 20 is celebrated as the “International Francophone Day” with different cultural expositions all over the world.