If you are looking for names of countries that speak French, you should read this article, which focuses on this specific topic.

French and English are the only two languages ​​spoken on almost all continents. It is a Romance language and hence one of the oldest languages ​​in the world. It is the official language of 29 countries and millions of people accept it as a second or third language.

French communities exist in approximately 56 countries. Its widespread use began in the 15th century. Before this, it was considered a complex and polite language and was used by the elite class. In the 17th century, it was known as the language of diplomacy and international relations. Thus, people all over the world started using it. But very soon, English became the language of international communication. In this article you will see a list of different countries that speak French today.

National language.

Countries that consider French as their national language.

List of such countries.

Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Monaco, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Vanuatu.

Countries of Europe.

Here you can find a large number of people speaking French. Europe has many countries that have French as their national language and it is also the official language of the European Union.

France, Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg.

African countries.

Half of the French-speaking population live in Africa. There is a huge list of African countries where French is the official language. Although French is the official language in these countries, there are other local languages ​​too that are widely spoken.

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Rwanda, Chad, Burundi, Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Seychelles.

Asian countries.

There are very few francophone countries in Asia. Mostly French is found as a second or third language. Lebanon

Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam), India.

Countries in America.

The maximum number of people who speak French in America is found in Canada. French is considered an official language in Canada along with English. About 25% of people speak French in Canada. Besides this, there are other countries that also use French as a second or third language. Countries in North America and South America are as follows.

Canada, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique.

Pacific region.

French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

list of countries where French is spoken
and got the best answer

Answer from Oliya Vdovichenko[guru]
Countries where French is the national language:
Belgium Belgium
Benin Benin
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso
Burundi Burundi
Cameroon Cameroon
Canada Canada
Central African Republic Central African Republic
Chad Chad
Comoros Comoros
Democratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti Djibouti
France France
Gabon Gabon
Guinea Guinea
Haiti Haiti
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast
Luxembourg Luxembourg
Madagascar Madagascar
Mali Mali
Monaco Monaco
Niger Niger
Republic of Congo Republic of Congo
Rwanda Rwanda
Senegal Senegal
Seychelles Seychelles
Switzerland Switzerland
Togo Togo
Vanuatu Vanuatu
Although French is not an official language in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon, it is widely used in literature and film.
Source:
French in the world: Dark blue: mother tongue;
Blue: administration language;
Blue: language of culture;
green: French-speaking minorities
Francophones are geographical areas where French is spoken, or a population of people who speak French. Francophonie (French La Francophonie) is an international intergovernmental organization of French-speaking countries of the world. Unites 56 members representing various states or parts of states of the world, as well as 14 observers. For a list of countries of the Francophone Community, as well as information about its history and activities, see the page

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: a list of countries where French is spoken

Answer from Dasha Volchkova[newbie]
Class!

Answer from Tatyana Kulikova[newbie]
a very beautiful, melodious and romantic language; aristocrats and nobles have spoken it for centuries. All the most beautiful things in this world come from France.

This includes not only countries in which Voltaire’s language is recognized as the official language, but also those in which the majority of residents speak French. There are nine such states in the world. Additionally, there are countries where French is the official language only in certain regions. The article provides a complete list of French-speaking countries.

Official language

The language Balzac spoke and wrote has a privileged status in the following countries:

• Wallis and Futuna.
• Burkina Faso.
• Benin.
• Ivory Coast.
• Mali.
• Mayotte.
• Senegal.
• Jersey.

This is not a complete list. In the list of French-speaking countries in the world given above, it is also worth including France and French Polynesia, as well as the states that are briefly described below.

Wallis and Futuna

This country consists of several islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. They are located between New Zealand and Hawaii. The capital of this French-speaking country is Mata-Utu. Population - 12 thousand people.

Burkina Faso

Until 1984, the state had a different name - Upper Volta. It is located in the western part of the Dark Continent. The capital is Ouagadougou. This French-speaking African country is home to more than 17 million people.

Benin

The country's population is 8.5 million people. Benin, like Burkina Faso, is located in West Africa. It is noteworthy that this country has two capitals. Porto Novo is official. Cotonou - financial.

Gabon

The official name of this French-speaking country located in is the Gabonese Republic. The capital of the state is Libreville. 1.8 million people live here. Not everyone speaks French. Gabon has many languages ​​and dialects. However, the same can be said about other French-speaking countries.

Guiana

In Lebanon, the official language is Arabic. The country is located in the Middle East, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Beirut.

Switzerland is a European country with a population of eight million people. This country does not have a capital. But the government, as before, is in Bern. The Swiss speak French, German, Italian. Residents of some regions speak Romansh. French-speaking Swiss make up 18% of the population.

Belgium has a population of 11 million. This small country has three official languages. Most speak Dutch. French can be heard in the Brussels and Walloon regions. German - in Liege.

Other countries in which French is one of the official languages: Canada, Burundi, Vanuatu, Haiti, Djibouti, Cameroon, Comoros, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Seychelles, Rwanda, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea.

November 04, 2015 Today, almost half a billion people around the world speak the language of Balzac and Hugo. About 270 million people around the world say French is their first or second language. What countries do these people live in? Where can our compatriots find knowledge of French useful? This will be discussed in the article presented to your attention.

About statuses

French, along with English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese and Russian, has the status of an official UN language. In addition, French (like English) is considered the working language of the UN Secretariat; all documents of the Secretariat must be drawn up in French.

Naturally, French has the status of an official language among European countries in France, as well as in Monaco and Belgium (along with Flemish). In these countries, speaking French gives you a decisive advantage - you will be understood everywhere, and you will be able to read all menus, signs and understand all advertisements. In Belgium, even Flemish speakers tend to speak excellent French as well.

It is more difficult with Switzerland. French is one of the four official languages ​​here, but most Swiss people speak German. The French-speaking part of the population makes up about 20% and is concentrated in Romandie, or French Switzerland - an area in the western part of the country, with the administrative center in Geneva. Here, a person who speaks French will not have language problems either.

French, along with English, also has the status of a state language in Canada. However, it is recognized as an official language only in the province of Quebec. This part of Canada is considered French speaking. However, firstly, the French language is not widespread in Quebec; a foreigner will still need basic knowledge of English here. And secondly, the language spoken by French-speaking residents of Quebec is quite different from classical French. The so-called French-Quebec dialect contains many borrowings from English and even from some North American Indian languages.

French as an inheritance

Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Guiana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo - in these countries that were once colonies or "overseas territories" of France in Africa, South and Central America, French has the status of an official or state language. In Lebanon, Burundi, Djibouti, Cameroon, Haiti, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Chad - the status of a second official language. In the Arab countries of North Africa, the former colonies of France, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, the French language does not have official status, but is quite widespread.

The mere knowledge of the “language of the colonizers” in the absence of knowledge of local languages ​​in most of these countries may simply be useless for a traveler. French here is most often spoken by a small, more educated part of the population. At best, you can communicate in French with the hotel administrator, as well as with people in the public service - border guards, customs officers, and less often - police officers. The remaining citizens of the countries of the “francophone zone” either do not speak French at all, or can communicate in various local dialects of French, usually very vaguely reminiscent of the language in which Moliere wrote his immortal plays.

However, if the ultimate goal of your trip to one of these countries is not tourism, but employment, knowledge of the French language will seriously increase your chances of finding a well-paid job. Many Europeans work here in medicine, education, tourism, as well as in the offices of various international organizations, and not only people from France, Belgium, Switzerland, but also citizens of other countries who have studied French.

"Francophonie"

In a broad sense, the word "Francophonie" is used to designate those countries and territories where people who speak French live. It was first used in this meaning in 1880 by the famous French geographer Onesimus Reclus. However, today this term is more often used to refer to the international cooperation organization of the French-speaking countries of the world, which has been operating since 1970. 56 states are represented in La Francophonie; the organization's motto is “Equality, complementarity, solidarity.”

Originally conceived and created as a purely humanitarian organization, La Francophonie eventually became a fairly influential political force. At the same time, the issues of studying and disseminating the French language, as opposed to English, occupy a significant place in the Francophonie programs. At the same time, the organization advocates the development of cultural diversity and promotes the expansion of educational processes, including teaching the French language, in all countries of the world.

Name:

Francophonie, La Francophonie

Flag/Coat of Arms:

Status:

international cooperation organization

Structural units:

Secretariat,
Conference of Ministers of National Education of Francophone States (CONFEMEN),
Francophonie Universities Agency,
Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie (APF),
Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports (CONFEJES),
TV5, a satellite channel operating 24 hours a day and having the status of operator of the Francophonie

Activity:

At the initial stage, the cultural factor prevailed in cooperation between Francophone countries. Those. if initially it was created by “representatives of the Francophonie space wishing to participate in the dissemination of the French language,” then in 1997 its commissions carried out activities in the areas of “cooperation and development, education, communications and cultural activities, politics and governance, parliamentary activities,” and in Currently, “it participates in the formation and strengthening of democratic institutions,” organizes “interparliamentary cooperation,” and activities in the field of “peace, democracy and human rights.” Thus, there was a significant politicization and expansion of the functions of this organization.

Official languages:

French

Participating countries:

Armenia, Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Gabon, Haiti, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Greece,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mauritania, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Moldova , Monaco, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Republic of Macedonia, Rwanda, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Senegal, Saint Lucia, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine, France, Central African Republic, Chad, Switzerland, Equatorial Guinea

Story:

Between 1958 and 1960, France granted independence to most of its African colonies. And already in the early 1960s. leaders of former colonies such as L. S. Senghor (Senegal), A. Diori (Niger), H. Bourguiba (Tunisia), and N. Sihanouk (Cambodia) began to propose projects to maintain solidarity and strong ties with the former metropolis. If, for example, such a project seemed to Senghor “addressed to cultural and linguistic issues,” Bourguiba advocated regular negotiations between francophone countries.

French President Charles de Gaulle considered such proposals premature, but the ideas of African leaders became more and more popular, and would still find their embodiment at the first Francophonie Summit (1986). It must be said that the French language, despite its official status in most former African colonies, is not widely used in everyday communication there. However, it is no coincidence that the leaders of these very states were the initiators of the creation of Francophonie: the French language plays a huge role in these countries. This language is used in the field of administrative management, has one distribution or another in the educational sphere, is the language of the political elites, the intelligentsia, most of the modern press was and is published here in French. In addition, this language is, as it were, a way of integrating the unification of many small ethnic and tribal groups within countries. French is the language of international communication of these African states. But the most important thing is that, by developing cooperation with France and other rich francophone countries of the North (Switzerland, Belgium, Canada), African countries wanted to resolve their economic problems and gain “access to modernization.” If the last factor is most relevant to Africa, then the rest are also true for other Francophone states of the South.

Francophonie, which arose in the former colonial empire of France, is often compared to the Commonwealth. However, Francophonie itself from the very beginning positioned itself as a counterweight to this association. French researchers believe that “the French Empire... left a deep mark on the former colonies,” expressed in the peculiarities of the administrative system and “in the cultural and linguistic spread of the French language.” It is known that France, unlike Great Britain, used a direct method of governing its colonies. It was this political and cultural heritage that made it possible to make the French language a means of establishing interaction between diverse cultures. Unlike the Commonwealth, Francophonie is based on a shared linguistic and cultural heritage rather than on the fact that members belong to a former colonial empire, and is “wary of ... addressing the colonial past,” which makes it “much more open” to membership.

However, since the 1970s. a qualitatively new stage in the development of Francophonie begins. In 1969, the first conference of Francophone states was held in Niamey (Niger). On March 20, 1970, the history of institutional Francophonie began, that is, a fundamentally new level of coordination efforts of member states: the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) was created. Its draft was developed by the Common Afro-Malagasy Organization (OCAM), and the ACCT Charter was signed in Niamey by 21 states. The fact that the Agency was created only in 1970 can be explained by the fact that France was afraid of the “image of the colonialists,” even though the ideas for such an organization were put forward by the leaders of the former colonies. Cooperation at the beginning was carried out mainly in the technical field. However, it was necessary to give Francophonie greater importance in political and economic affairs. L. S. Senghor advocated for the holding of the Francophonie Summit. In 1973, Paris hosted the first Franco-African summit (that is, Canada and Quebec were not present due to tensions between Paris and Ottawa over the possibility of recognizing Quebec as a state party). Since 1986, Francophonie Summits have been held, at which all member states are present, the most important political and economic issues are discussed, cooperation programs are adopted, and issues regarding the accession of new members are resolved. States with 4 statuses participate in the work of the Summits: full members, regions, associated states, observers; the status of “special guest” is also provided for territories that do not have state status, but participate in the Summits and in any programs of the Organization (for example, Val d’Aosta, Louisiana, Catalonia). Of course, a wide range of statuses contributes to an increase in the number of states participating in one way or another in the activities of the Francophonie, respecting French culture and language as an alternative to English way of international communication. All this increases the international influence of Francophonie.

The first Summit was held in Paris in 1986. The Summit was attended by heads of state and government of 41 French-speaking states, the main goal was to determine the main directions of joint activities. 28 practical solutions were developed within the framework of three strategic directions: 1) “constant coordination of actions, allowing us to play a real role in the global balance”; 2) “the French language, a way of progress and modernization” 3) “the establishment of specific and active programs.” The desire to play an important role in international relations and the “world balance” is, of course, more a political and economic than a cultural direction of development, which does not even exclude activities in the security field. The French language is no longer seen as an exclusively cultural vector, but is associated with such political and economic categories as “progress” and “modernization.” The establishment of specific programs allows us to talk about the transition from declarations to real actions.

At the second Summit in Quebec (Canada, 1987), further institutionalization of Francophonie took place; its economic role was strengthened: the Francophonie Business Forum (Forum francophone des affaires) was created. Francophonie declared itself as an actor in world politics: resolutions were adopted on the most important international issues (the situation in Chad, Lebanon, the Middle East; the economic situation in the world, the environment).

The Third Summit in Dakar (Senegal, 1989) is important in the context of the beginning of the North-South dialogue within the Francophonie. A decision was made that embodied not promises, but real assistance to Africa: F. Mitterrand proposed to write off the debt of 16 billion francs to 35 African states.

The North-South dialogue was continued at the Chaillot Summit (France, 1991): developed countries proclaimed the need for democratization of African regimes as a condition for economic assistance, while developing countries insisted on the impossibility of democratic transformations themselves without economic assistance. Thus, the economic and political dimensions of Francophonie's activities are intertwined and continue to intensify.

At the Mauritius Summit (1993), several important political and economic decisions were made. Regarding the political sphere, 2 topics were discussed: “Human rights and development”, “unity in diversity”. Decisions on these issues allowed Francophonie to establish itself as a prominent participant in international relations. Noteworthy is the statement of the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Anérad Jugneau: “Francophonie cannot... remain on the defensive until there is a consensus on the need for a stronger presence of our community in the political and diplomatic spheres. We must take action to clearly communicate and make clear to the world the role that we...are going to play. The hour has come for Francophonie to establish itself as a real force... to achieve peace on Earth.” Resolutions were adopted on the topic of peace and democracy, which emphasized the importance of peacekeeping activities through UN mechanisms. At the Summit it was recognized that “the economy is one of the inseparable elements of the culture of peoples,” which marks the establishment of a connection between the cultural and economic vectors of the activities of Francophonie. The main parameters of economic cooperation between members were developed, including within the framework of the GATT.

At the Cotonou Summit (Benin, 1995), important changes of a political, economic, and institutional nature took place. The new President of France, J. Chirac, advocated giving the Organization a qualitatively new political dimension; a number of political resolutions were adopted. An important fact for strengthening the political significance of Francophonie was the establishment of the post of Secretary General, who received most of the political functions and was responsible for the activities of the entire Organization, which eliminated the duality of functions of some bodies and strengthened the entire Francophonie. ACCT became the Agency of the Francophonie, headed by an Administrator General responsible to the Secretary General, and acquired the role of the main operator of the Francophonie. The Summit also focused on important economic issues such as “regional economic cooperation and integration, support for private enterprise and enterprise partnerships, and actions that promote greater savings.”

The summit in Hanoi (Vietnam, 1997) became one of the most important in the history of the Organization. The first Secretary General, in order to give Francophonie “its full political dimension,” was Boutros Boutros Ghali (the personality itself is of great importance, since Boutros Ghali was the Secretary General of the UN and therefore a priori has a certain political weight and experience). The importance of Francophonie in international relations on a global scale is significantly increasing; from this Summit, she "will be able to act to ensure that the planet does not experience the destructive effects of a unified culture." It is clear that her opposition to the global dominance of the English language is growing. It is also important to note that at this Summit the problems of conflict prevention in the member states (security sphere) were discussed; the Organization also became involved in the activities of the world community to ensure human rights (legal sphere). As for economic cooperation, by this period, despite numerous political decisions, it was not possible to achieve significant results. Both objective reasons (the very large diversity of Francophonie countries both geographically and socio-economically, the weakness of North-South economic contacts) and subjective reasons (the reluctance to invest in the countries of the South, the “Afropessimism” of European companies) have been and are still affecting us. However, at present it can be stated that the economic space of Francophonie has achieved significant success in implementing many projects and improving economic relations between North and South.

At the Moncton Summit (Canada, 1999), the attention of heads of state and government was drawn to the problem of strengthening democracy in the Francophonie states; Subsequently, this issue will be discussed in more detail at a symposium on the results and concrete proposals for the experience of democracy in Francophonie (2000). The summit in Beirut (Lebanon, 2002) is very important in the context of the politicization of Francophonie. For the first time the Summit was held in an Arab country. The Beirut Declaration was adopted (discussed below); in connection with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, international terrorism and intolerance were condemned, and the priority of dialogue of cultures in maintaining peace on the planet was declared; The Declaration included decisions on the most important issues of world politics. The former President of Senegal, Abdou Diouf, became Secretary General. It is also important to note that Algeria was present at the Summit as a special guest of the Lebanese government, which may mark the beginning of a softening of contradictions between France and this former colony. The decision of the Summit to tighten the conditions for admitting new members to Francophonie is interesting, which is explained by the desire to “deepen rather than expand” interaction between members. Obviously, this reflects the tendency towards the transformation of Francophonie from a cultural forum into a clearly organized structure with specific participants and clear political and economic goals. However, observer status remained available to countries interested in part in the affairs of Francophonie, which fits into the logic of political interest in expansion and the rhetoric of cultural diversity.

In November 2002, the International Symposium (Bamako, Mali) on the results of the experience of democracy, rights and freedoms in the Francophonie adopted the most important document concerning democracy, human rights, and their protection - the Bamako Declaration. This step was a major indicator of the participation of Francophonie in international political and legal life. At the Tenth Summit in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso, 2004), two very significant documents were adopted: the Ouagadougou Declaration (the main idea is “a common space for long-term development”, will be discussed below in the context of political issues) and the “Strategic Ten-Year Plan” (2005-2014 ), which is an expression of the seriousness of the goals of the Francophonie, its ability to develop long-term development strategies and priority areas for specific activities. A number of political decisions were made (the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, in the Middle East); attention was paid to the information community (which is also one of the priorities of the Francophonie).

The eleventh Francophonie Summit will be held in Bucharest (Romania) in 2006, its theme will be “Education and new information technologies”.

In Antananarivo (Madagascar) on November 23, 2005, the Conference of Ministers of La Francophonie adopted a new Charter of La Francophonie, which established a new name for the organization - the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). Throughout its development, the association has transformed from a purely cultural one into an organization that claims to have significant influence in international relations, in particular in the fields of politics, economics, security, information technology, which, in turn, is combined with active cultural activities. Francophonie has adopted a number of important decisions and documents in these areas and has drawn up a strategy for its future development.

Notes:

The main criterion for joining the organization is not considered to be the level of French language proficiency of the population of a particular state (although this is encouraged), but rather cultural ties with France that have developed over decades and even centuries.