Article Directory :: Writing & Speaking Articles

Countries That Speak French in Europe, America's, and Others

By Dan Lowe

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 08Sep2010 Word count: 663 Viewed: 670 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

For the most part, French is considered to be a European language which was able to expand itself to different parts of the globe due to French colonization. This meant that the colonization created many countries to speak French and even declare it as their official language. The primary region of French is known as Pays d'Oïl or "the country of Oïl." This area is made up of the northwestern tip of Switzerland (canton of Jura), the Channel Islands, southern Belgium (Wallonia) and northern France; with the exception of regions where German, Dutch and Breton are spoken. The neighboring languages are composed of the Occitan to the south; German to the northeast, Franco-Provencal to the southeast, Dutch to the north and Breton to the west.

Countries that Speak French in Europe

The only official language of France is French while other countries also consider French as an official language among others. These countries include; Belgium - particularly in the regions of Wallonia Switzerland and other neighboring countries

40% of over 4 millions Belgians speak French as their first language and is deemed as the official language of most of Wallonia. Brussels is the capital of Belgium in which both the French and Dutch are considered official languages; although the majority speaks French in the city proper of Brussels.

Approximately 1.75 million people in Switzerland speak French and consider it as their official language. In addition, French is also the official language of the principality of Monaco; Luxembourg (aside from German and Luxembourgish) as well as in Val d'Aoste, Italy (apart from Italian).

Countries that Speak French in the Americas

France lost many of its American colonies due to the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Fortunately, it was able to sustain some possessions in America while maintaining some French-speaking communities especially in some parts of Canada.

With regards to the overseas departments and territories of France, French is still considered as the official language. These territories include; St. Martin Saint-Pierre Miquelon Saint Barthelemy Martinique Guadeloupe French Guiana Another former French colony was Haiti which still uses French as one of its official languages.

At a federal level, French is at par with the English language in Canada. Roughly a quarter of Canadians speak French as their mother tongue and these native French speakers usually reside in the Eastern part of the country which is mostly in Quebec and in New Brunswick. Moreover, Dominica and the U.S. state of Louisiana uses French as an administrative language.

Countries that Speak French in Africa

Half of the western part of the African nations declares French as its official language except Nigeria. This is largely due to the Belgian and French colonization in which the French language is still used as a national and international communication although majority of the population does not speak it as their primary language.

Other African countries that uses French as an official language includes; Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo (Brazzaville) Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Gabon Guinea Madagascar Mali Mauritius Niger Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Togo with the exception of Equatorial Guinea

Furthermore, French is commonly understood in countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia while it is deemed as an administrative language in Mauritania.

Countries that Speak French in Other Parts of the Globe

French is used as an administrative language in countries such as Laos and is being informally spoken in certain parts of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Other countries that understand the French language include; Lebanon Syria As well as some parts of India namely; Yanam Mahé Karikal (which were once a French trading post) Puducherry is another former French trading post which uses French as an official language apart from Tamil.

The Mayotte and Réunion which are located in the Indian Ocean also uses French as an official language along with the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu as well as some parts of French Polynesia, Wallis & Futuna and New Caledonia.

EasyPublish™ this article - publishers click here

More articles by Dan Lowe

Free Report!
Ten Essential Secrets Of Article Marketing ... Grab Your Free
Copy Now:

Need Content?
Regular Top Quality Content for your Blog, Ezine or Website ...
Delivered Direct,
For Free!
Click For Details