List of countries and territories where French is an official language

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  French is the only official language (13 countries).
  French is co-official alongside one or more other languages (16 countries).

As of 2015, there are 29 independent nations where French is an official language. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.

Countries with French as an official language

Nr Country Continent Population [1]
1.  Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa 77,266,800
2.  France Europe 66,991,000
3.  Canada North America 35,851,800
4.  Madagascar Africa 24,235,400
5.  Cameroon Africa 23,345,200
6.  Ivory Coast Africa 22,701,600
7.  Niger Africa 19,899,100
8.  Burkina Faso Africa 18,105,600
9.  Mali Africa 17,599,700
10.  Senegal Africa 15,129,300
11.  Chad Africa 14,037,500
12.  Guinea Africa 12,608,600
13.  Rwanda Africa 11,607,700
14.  Belgium Europe 11,285,700
15.  Burundi Africa 11,178,900
16.  Benin Africa 10,879,800
17.  Haiti North America 10,711,100
18.  Switzerland Europe 8,287,000
19.  Togo Africa 7,304,600
20.  Central African Republic Africa 4,900,300
21.  Republic of the Congo Africa 4,620,300
22.  Gabon Africa 1,725,300
23.  Djibouti Africa 887,861
24.  Equatorial Guinea Africa 845,060
25.  Comoros Africa 788,474
26.  Luxembourg Europe 569,676
27.  Vanuatu Oceania 264,652
28.  Seychelles Africa 92,900
29.  Monaco Europe 37,731
Total All countries World 434,578,054

Dependent entities where French is an official language

Nr. Entity Continent Population Status
1.  French Polynesia Oceania 267,000 Overseas Collectivity of France
2.  New Caledonia Oceania 224,824 Overseas Collectivity of France
3.  Aosta Valley Europe 128,000 Autonomous Region of Italy
4.  Jersey Europe 91,533 British Crown dependency
5.  Saint-Martin North America 29,376 Overseas Collectivity of France
6.  Wallis and Futuna Oceania 16,448 Overseas Collectivity of France
7.  Saint-Barthélemy North America 7,492 Overseas Collectivity of France
8.  Saint-Pierre and Miquelon North America 7,044 Overseas Collectivity of France

French is recognized as a cultural language in the American states of Louisiana and Maine, in which the state governments officially promote and support French-language education and its use in government services and commerce, but it is not de jure official.[2]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Google Public Data Explorer". World Bank. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  2. ^ Louisiana Official Site on Languages, accessed August 22, 2016
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