It is difficult to calculate how many people consider French as their native language, given that more than 60 million people live in the European territory of France alone. Meanwhile, the French State extends to many overseas territories.
In total, according to rough estimates, more than 200 million people speak French in different parts of the globe.
Where do all these people live, and in which states is it officially recognized? This article contains all the facts about where French is spoken!
Origin
Like many other dialects, French is based on vernacular Latin, which was common throughout the Roman Empire. However, its history dates back to the time of Gaius Julius Caesar, who conquered the territory of modern France and made it a Roman province. Then the Gauls lived there, and their language gradually began to mix with Latin.
For five centuries, they formed a special dialect, but after the fall of the Roman Empire, this piece of land was again conquered. This time the tribes of the Franks, who gave the name to the state -. Despite the fact that the conquerors were strong, Latin still won, and Old French was formed. But the history of modern French begins only in the 9th century.
What language do the French speak?
Together with all the territories of France, in addition to Europe, its population is more than 120 million people. And 90% of them are French by nationality. Accordingly, most of the inhabitants speak the only official language, French. However, there are also dialects and minority languages.
Among the dialects of the regions, Basque, Franco-Provençal, Breton, Oil languages and many others are common. But among the foreign languages that are used in these territories, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, English and their dialects are most often used.
Francophonie
A number of countries of the world are united in international community called Francophonie. It was founded in 1970, although the term was first coined in 1880. Now this concept unites all states where French is spoken, as well as those peoples who have long-term ties with France. In total, the community consists of 58 countries (or parts of states), in addition, 26 are recognized as observers.
National language
Among the states that use it as a national one, one can single out France directly, as well as a number of other countries of the world.
European countries
The official status of this language in Europe has been assigned by the governments of Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra and Monaco. Moreover, in Switzerland it is used on a par with three more state ones, and in Belgium and Luxembourg - with two. In Andorra, it is used as an unofficial working language.
African countries
In many African countries, it is used as a national. Historically, many African territories have been different periods time subject to French influence. Now it is officially spoken in the states of Benin, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Ivory Coast ( West Africa), as well as Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Niger, Mali. It is recognized as the second or even third state in Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Cameroon, Djibouti, Chad, Central African Republic, Rwanda.
Asian countries
In Asia, the use of French is small, as it is not recognized as a state language in any country. But there are a number of states in which the French-speaking population is about 20%, for example, Lebanon, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos. In India, it has the status of a state along with others in part of the territory.
Americas
The largest number The French-speaking population in the Americas lives in Canada. The French mastered this land area before the British, but the latter then nevertheless won back their positions. It was possible to save officially French in the territory of the province of Quebec and several others. It is also popular in Guiana, Martinique, Haiti, Guadeloupe.
Pacific
Among the island nations, French is used in Polynesia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Futuna and Wallis.
french language day
On the day the organization of the Francophonie appeared, and this happened on March 20, 1970, the day was appointed. It brings together more than 220 million French-speaking people around the world. Among them, only 75 million have this language since birth. Anyone who is in love with France and speaks fluent French can celebrate it.
The language of the Franks became widespread throughout the planet during the active conquest of lands. Now its popularity is gradually fading compared to English. But it still remains one of the six official languages of the UN.
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French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is spoken by more than 200 million people living not only in Europe, but also in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. Which countries use French? Where is it official and why?
Distribution in the world
French belongs to the Indo-European family and, together with Romanian, Italian, Portuguese, is part of the Romance group of languages. It comes from folk Latin, but compared to other languages of the group, it has departed much further from it in grammatical and lexical terms.
It is widely used in the world and ranks 14th in terms of prevalence. The number of people for whom it is a native or second language is about 100 million. Another 100-150 million people know it and can easily speak it.
As a working or diplomatic language, French is used in various international organizations and entities, for example, in the European Union, Holy See, Benelux, UN, ICC, IOC, etc. It is spoken on all continents where there is a permanent population. In addition to France, it has official status in 28 other states. These include:
- Benin.
- Guadeloupe.
- Gabon.
- Burkina Faso.
- Tunisia.
- Monaco.
- Niger.
- Mali.
- Burundi.
- Vanuatu.
- Madagascar.
- Comoros.
- Guiana and others.
Most modern French-speaking countries are former colonies. Since the 16th century, France has been actively foreign policy, capturing territories on other continents. There were two colonial periods in its history, during which its possessions included regions of South and North America, Asia, Africa, islands in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Europe
The state of France is located in the European part of the world. She did not have colonies in these territories, but there are several states in which her language is spoken. This happened thanks to numerous wars of conquest and political upheavals. So, Monaco came under its control in the 17th century, and today French is the only official language in this country. He had the same status in Belgium from 1830 to 1878.
Today, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland are only partly French-speaking countries. They consider several languages to be state at once, each of which has an equal status. In Switzerland, French is spoken by about 23% of the population. It is especially common in the cantons of Wallis and Freiburg, and in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, Jura and Neuchâtel it is the only official one. In Andorra, French is not official, but it is spoken by about 8% of the population. It is studied in schools and used as a spoken and administrative language.
America
The colonization of the American continents by France begins in the 16th century and continues until about the middle of the 18th century. In North America, its lands were called New France and covered the territory from Quebec and Newfoundland to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Later, these colonies went to Great Britain, and then they completely gained independence.
Today, French is spoken mainly in Canada, where it is the second official language. It is spoken by a quarter of the country's population, which is approximately 9 million people. Most of them live in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick. The largest French-speaking cities in Canada are Montreal and Quebec. Here it is spoken by about 90% of the citizens. In the US, French is the fourth most spoken language. It is spoken by 2-3 million people, mostly residents of the states of Louisiana, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
Some French colonies were located in South America and on the islands. Some of them are still among its overseas territories and communities. So, it includes the islands of Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, Martinique, as well as the largest overseas region of the country, French Guiana, located on the continent.
Africa
Largest number French-speaking countries are in Africa. The development of the continent by Europeans began in the XV-XVI century, but progressed rather slowly. In the 19th century, it reached significant proportions and was called the "race for Africa."
Many European empires participated in the colonization, constantly in conflict with each other. France occupied mainly the western and equatorial territories. From here they exported ivory, horns, feathers and skins of valuable animals, gold, gems, timber and slaves.
Former African colonies experienced different influence and have a very diverse population. Often they have several official languages, and at the local level their number reaches several dozen. At the administrative level, exclusively French-speaking countries are Benin, Gabon, Republic of Guinea, DRC, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo. In Rwanda, along with it, English and Kinyaranda are also used, in Mali and Burkina Faso - Banama, in Equatorial Guinea - Spanish and Portuguese.
In Mauritius, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia, French is an unofficial language and is often used in business and for international communication. In Morocco, it is considered as the second national after Berber. In Algeria, it is spoken and written by about 50% of the population, which is approximately 20 million people. The islands of Mayotte, Reunion are not only French-speaking, but also included in the list of overseas territories of France.
Asia and the Pacific
In Asia, French influence spread much less than in Africa or America. Here, its colonies began to appear only in the 19th century, spreading mainly in the Southeast and Oceania. The country owned a small area in India, the Middle East and Australia.
Officially French-speaking countries today are Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Haiti, French Polynesia, located on the Pacific Islands. As a colloquial and working language, this language is used in Lebanon, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and in the Indian region of Pondicherry.
Surely many dreamed of starting to learn French. Its extremely melodious and gentle sound leaves almost no one indifferent. But for a huge number of people on the planet, it is native. So which countries speak French?
Origin
The history of this language dates back about two thousand years ago. Julius Caesar quickly broke into the territory of Gaul in 52 BC and, together with the customs of the Romans, brought Latin to the occupied lands.
But the Gauls were not going to completely change their culture, so after a few centuries, folk Latin appeared, which was much simpler and more understandable for the locals than the language that entered their lives with the Romans.
Later, new invaders, the Franks, invaded the territory of modern France. From the name of this Germanic tribe, the whole country was named. The Gallo-Romans and the Franks lived side by side for many years, it was thanks to this unusual neighborhood that the French language appeared, which was convenient and understandable for both sides. Today it is recognized as the official language of France.
What language do the French speak?
The French Republic accommodates on its territory immigrants from dozens of other states. On the streets of the capital you can see great amount Arabs and Asians. Despite this, the official language in France is French. The government is very strict to ensure that all who immigrated there have the opportunity to learn it and use it in Everyday life. There are even holidays dedicated to Francophones. And knowing in which countries they speak French, you can understand where these dates are celebrated on a grand scale.
Thus, the inhabitants of France speak as mother tongue(it can be Arabic, German or Portuguese) and French. But the latter is official not only in France. In which countries French is the official language, we will find out a little later.
In all corners of the planet
Victor Hugo's language can be heard almost anywhere in the world. More than half of those who speak French live in Africa. We are talking, for example, about Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Congo and many other states. In the list of countries where it is considered official, there are 29 states located on all five continents. Among them are Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Monaco, Vietnam, Senegal and many others. That is why it is the sixth most common in the world.
The official language in Canada, oddly enough, is also French. Along with English, it was recognized as the state language for the country, and about 7 million people speak it.
So, we found out in which countries they speak French. But this does not mean at all that there are no people outside of them who are fluent in it. You can learn it to perfection in almost any city in the world. Many people choose it school curriculum, and someone seeks to improve their conversational speech before a romantic trip to Paris.
People who speak French are called Francophones. There is even a holiday dedicated to them, it is called International Francophonie Day.
french language day
Since 1970, on March 20, Francophonie Day has been celebrated around the world. In order to feel your involvement in this event, it is not at all necessary to know the language itself perfectly. The desire to study and maintain the traditions and culture of France is much more appreciated. The holiday is celebrated on a grand scale; meetings of politicians are held at the state level to discuss issues related to linguistics.
For citizens who are interested in the official language of France to one degree or another, many different seminars and conferences are held. Seminars are conducted by leading experts who talk about the history and development of this popular way of communication. Even if earlier you did not feel a great desire to start studying it, then after attending a number of events on Francophonie Day, you will definitely have it.
So, dear readers, now you know which countries speak French, you can go there on March 20 and discover a lot of new, interesting things, And of course, chat with native speakers, which is considered the best practice.
More people speak French in Africa than in Europe. This happened due to the fact that little France at one time had large colonial possessions in Africa. Subsequently, they became independent states, but French remained the official language in most of them.
Where French is spoken
It is believed that in the world 77 million French speakers. In 33 countries it is recognized as a state or one of the state. English, the most popular in the world, is considered as such in 45 states.
In which countries is French the official language?
- France.
- Luxembourg.
- Monaco.
- Benin.
- Central African Republic.
- Burkina Faso.
- Gabon.
- Cote d'Ivoire.
- Republic of the Congo.
- Guinea.
- Mali.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Senegal.
- Niger.
- Togo.
Only the first three states in this list are in Europe, and two of them are dwarf. The remaining twelve countries are located in Africa.
In three more countries of the world, French is the state language in some regions, and in 15 it is recognized as one of the official languages. Moreover, eight of these states are located in Africa and only four - in Europe.
Features of French in Africa
The African dialect is seriously different. Initially, during the spread of French in Africa, local dialects and phonetic features were ignored. It was consumed in its pure European form, and was mostly used only by the children of the African elite. This state of affairs was not conducive to broad penetration into the life of the tribes.
But after liberation from colonial dependence (60s of the 20th century), the African peoples needed to interact not only with Europe, but also among themselves. It turned out that it is easiest for them to agree in French, since the number of languages and dialects on the continent cannot be counted.
For the same reason, French has become the official language in many African countries. This is a kind of consensus for countries with a diverse ethnic composition. So, in Cod d'Ivoire, French is official, but only 10% of the inhabitants speak it. And this is significant, because in total about 70 languages are used on the territory of the state.
Togo is not far behind - there are 50 languages and dialects, but much more people speak French than the Ivorians. Basically, in states where the official language is French, it is spoken by more than half of the population.
The African version is significantly different in terms of vocabulary and word formation. This is due to the penetration of words from local dialects and attempts to designate realities that have no analogues in France. A large number of archaisms that have remained since the time of the colonies, but have fallen into disuse in the modern European version, also play their role.
There are also many changes in phonetics, as the reference point goes to the local pronunciation norm, and not to the European one. Proper pronunciation counts with pretentiousness, especially when it comes to sound sound r or intonation.