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A man from Labé, Guinea, speaking Pular and West African French. African French (French: français africain) is the generic name of the varieties of the French language spoken by an estimated 320 million people in Africa in 2023 or 67% of the French-speaking population of the world [1] [2] [3] spread across 34 countries and territories.
An additional factor that connects France to its former colonies is their usage of the French language. Francophone African nations are placed at an economic advantage within European countries such as France, Switzerland, and Belgium due to their shared linguistic identities. [97]
Only half of Dakar residents identify with a Francophone status or feel solidarity with French-speaking countries, but the French language is seen as essential for everyday affairs and education. [72] French was the language of literacy for 37.2% of the population in 2013, followed by Arabic at 11.1%.
The term francophonie was invented by Onésime Reclus in 1880: "We also put aside four large countries, Senegal, Gabon, Cochinchina and Cambodia, whose future from a "Francophone" point of view is still very doubtful, except perhaps for Senegal" (in French « Nous mettons aussi de côté quatre grands pays, le Sénégal, le Gabon, la Cochinchine, le Cambodge dont l’avenir au point de vue ...
Klein, Martin A. Slavery and colonial rule in French West Africa (Cambridge University Press, 1998) Manning, Patrick. Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa 1880-1995 (Cambridge UP, 1998). Neres, Philip. French-speaking West Africa: From Colonial Status to Independence (1962) Priestley, Herbert Ingram. France overseas: a study of modern imperialism ...
French is still a lingua franca in most Western and Central African countries and an official language of many, a remnant of French and Belgian colonialism. These African countries and others are members of the Francophonie. French is the official language of the Universal Postal Union, with English added as a working language in 1994. [46
The Foureau-Lamy military expedition sent out from Algiers in 1898 to conquer the Chad Basin and unify all French territories in West Africa. French West Africa. Ivory Coast (1843–1960) Dahomey or French Dahomey (now Benin) (1883–1960) Independent of Dahomey, under French protectorate in 1889; Porto-Novo (protectorate) (1863–1865, 1882)
This category lists countries and territories where French is used as either a first or native language or an official language The main article for this category is Francophonie . See also: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie