Francophone

Not to be confused with la Francophonie.

The adjective francophone means "French-speaking", typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. The word is also often used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person.

Linguistic nuance

In a narrower sense, the notion of "francophone" reaches beyond the dictionary definition of "French language speaker". The term specifically refers to people whose cultural background is primarily associated with French language, regardless of ethnic and geographical differences. The francophone culture beyond Europe is the legacy of the French and Belgian colonial empires. This is sometimes referred to as the francosphere.^{[citation needed]}

Francophone nations

• In Europe

  • France, Belgium (the French-speaking community in the region of Wallonia, Brussels-Capital Region and a few bordering municipalities), Switzerland (French-speaking part, a.k.a. Romande), Luxembourg and Monaco.

• In North and South America

  • Canada (the province of Quebec is francophone, and there are large French-speaking communities in Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and other Canadian provinces), Haiti, the French West Indies and French Guyana.

• In Africa

  • Several former French colonies in Africa, as well as the former Belgian colonies of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Rwanda.

• In North Africa/Middle East

  • Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria and Lebanon. French is the secondary language, used especially in culture, commerce, academia and even administrative fields. These countries (except Algeria) are members of an international organisation called la Francophonie.

Map of the francosphere

  French is the main language

  French is an official language

  French is a second language (cultural language or administrative language)

  French is a minority language

See also

• List of countries where French is an official language
• French language: Geographic distribution
• List of French possessions and colonies
• Public Francophone Radios