Some facts about French

THE FRENCH LANGUAGE is a language of France.
Population: 51,000,000 first language speakers in France. Population total all countries 77,000,000 first language speakers (1999 WA), 128,000,000 including second language speakers (1999 WA).
Region: Also spoken in 53 other countries including Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, CAR, Chad, Comoros Islands, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Djibouti, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon.
Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Dialects: STANDARD FRENCH, NORMAN (NORMAND), PICARD (ROUCHI, CHTIMI), WALLON (WALLOON), ANGEVIN, BERRICHON, BOURBONNAIS, BOURGUIGNON, FRANC-COMTOIS, GALLO, LORRAINE, POITEVIN, SANTONGEAIS.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oil, French.
Comments: 89% lexical similarity with Italian, 80% with Sardinian, 78% with Rheto-Romance, 75% with Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish, 29% with German, 27% with English. Investigation needed: intelligibility with Walloon, Picard Jerrais. National language. Dictionary. Grammar. SVO. Deciduous forest. Intensive agriculturalists, industry, business. 80 meters. Christian. Bible 1530-1995.

Also spoken in:
Algeria
Population: 110,600 in Algeria (1993).
Comments: 20% of the population can read and write French, and more can speak it. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Andorra
Population: 2,400 in Andorra, 6% of the population (1986).
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Belgium
Population: 4,000,000 in Belgium (M. Harris in B. Comrie 1988), 33% of the population (1990 WA).
Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Dialects: WALLOON (WALLON), PICARD.
Comments: The eastern subdialect of Walloon is considered to be more difficult to understand within Belgium. The following municipalities have minority rights for Dutch-speaking persons: Comines-Warneton, Mouscron, Enghien, Floubecques; and for German-speaking persons: Malmedy, Weismes, Welkenraedt. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Benin
Population: 16,700 in Benin (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Burkina Faso
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Burundi
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Cameroon
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Canada
Population: 6,700,000 mother tongue speakers in Canada, or less than 24% (1998 Statistics Canada). Mother tongue of over 80% of Quebec's population (1997 DiverCite Langues). 300,000 speak Acadien, 500,000 speak Franco-Ontariens. Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Dialects: QUEBEICOIS, FRANCO-ONTARIEN, ACADIAN (ACADIEN).
Comments: Difficult intelligibility between speakers of Quebecois and Acadian for speakers not fluent in Standard French. National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Central African Republic
Population: 9,000 in CAR (1996).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Chad
Population: 3,000 in Chad (1993).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Comoros Islands
Population: 1,700 in Comoros Islands (1993).
Comments: Language of all formal education except Koranic. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Congo
Population: 28,000 in Congo (1993).
Comments: Sole language of formal education. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Cote d'Ivoire
Population: 17,470 in Cote d'Ivoire (1988 census).
Comments: Official language. Grammar. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Democratic Republic of Congo
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Djibouti
Population: 15,440 in Djibouti, 2.84% of the population (1988).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

French Guiana
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

French Polynesia
Population: 15,338 first language speakers in French Polynesia, foreign born (1977). 50,215 attending French schools, second language users (1978).
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Gabon
Population: 37,500 in Gabon (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: The only language of formal education. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Guadeloupe
Comments: There is a variety on the northwest end of St. Barthelemy, west of but not including Gustavia, similar to Cajun French of the USA, which may or may not be a French dialect (Julianne Maher 1997). National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Guinea
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Haiti
Population: Second language speakers in Haiti: 400,000.

Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Italy
Population: 100,000 in Italy (M. Harris in B. Comrie 1987).
Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Lebanon
Comments: An estimated 20% of the population speak French in their daily lives, and up to 65% of the population can read and converse in French. A number of government and private universities teach in French. Official language. The language of instruction in most schools. Newspapers, magazines. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Luxembourg
Population: 13,100 or more (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Used mainly by intellectuals, professionals, authorities. Taught in school as a third language. Used for streets, shops, travel tickets, hotel registries, menus. National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Madagascar
Population: 18,000 in Madagascar (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Mali
Population: 9,000 in Mali (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language for instruction in schools. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Martinique
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Mauritius
Population: 37,000.
Comments: Used in stores. Widely used by young people as second language. The elderly tend to use creole. Newspapers, radio programs, TV. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Mayotte
Population: 2,450 in Mayotte (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Monaco
Population: 17,400 in Monaco, 58% of the population (1988).
Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

New Caledonia
Population: 53,400 first language speakers in New Caledonia (1987), 35.6% of the population.
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Niger
Population: 6,000 in Niger (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Reunion
Population: 2,400 in Reunion (1993 Johnstone). Including second language speakers: 160,500 in Reunion, 30% of the population (1986).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Rwanda
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Senegal
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Seychelles
Population: 977 in Seychelles (1971 census).
Comments: Spoken by the French settler families, 'grands blancs'. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

St. Pierre and Miquelon
Population: 5,114 out of 5,235 population in St. Pierre and Miquelon (1967 census).
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Switzerland
Population: 1,272,000 in Switzerland, 19.2% of the population (1990 census).
Alternate names: FRANCAIS
Dialects: FRANCHE-COMTOIS (JURASSIEN, FRIBOURGOIS).
Comments: 33% of the population of Switzerland speak French every day (1990 census). Official language. Used for education in French-speaking areas. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Togo
Population: 3,000 in Togo (1993).
Comments: Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Tunisia
Population: 11,000 in Tunisia (1993).
Comments: Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

United Kingdom
Population: 14,000 in England (1976 Stephens).
Dialects: JERRIAIS, DGERNESIAIS.
Comments: French is only spoken by about 11% of the population of Channel Islands, mainly older people. Official language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Vanuatu
Population: 6,300 in Vanuatu (1995), 3.8% of the population.
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986. See main entry under France.

Wallis and Futuna
Population: 120 in Wallis and Futuna (1993 Johnstone).
Comments: National language. Bible 1530-1986.

 

France