French 2 / Unit 10: The Francophone World and Comparisons
10.1 French Around the World
Notes
French is spoken by about 300 million people on every continent. People who speak French are called francophones, and the French-speaking world is la Francophonie.
| Region | Examples |
|---|---|
| Europe | France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco |
| North America | Canada (especially Québec), Haiti, Louisiana (history) |
| Africa | Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar |
| North Africa | Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia (French is widely used) |
| Caribbean and Pacific | Martinique, Guadeloupe, Tahiti (French Polynesia) |
- French is an official language in many countries, but it is often one of several languages: Belgium (French, Dutch, German), Switzerland (German, French, Italian, Romansh), Haiti (French and Haitian Creole).
- Africa has the largest number of French speakers; the DR Congo has one of the largest French-speaking populations.
- The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) brings together French-speaking countries.
Practice
Which statement about French in the world is true?
French is spoken on every continent, and Haiti uses French and Haitian Creole.
Which country is in North America and has a large French-speaking region?
Québec is the main French-speaking province of Canada.
Which place is a French-speaking island in the Caribbean?
Martinique is in the Caribbean; Tahiti is in the Pacific.
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