This is a list of the member states of the . These governments belong to an international organisation representing countries and regions where French is the first ("mother") or customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are francophones (French speakers) or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture.[1] [2] [3]
| Country | Joined | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Brief French protectorate in Korçë between 1916 and 1920. Approximately 30% of young Albanians choose French as their first foreign language.[4] Albania is home to 300,000 French speakers, and it is the second foreign language of education after English. | |||
| 2004 | Formerly part of First French Empire. The President of France is also a Co-Prince of Andorra. | |||
| 2012 | See further: Armenia-France relations | |||
| 1970 | officially trilingual, French included | French is the native language of about 39% of the population[5] 48% are non-native speakers of French.[6] Belgium's French community is also a member separately. See also: Languages of Belgium and Belgian French | ||
| 1980 | French as official language | A community of Belgium with its two components Wallonia (excluding the German-speaking community) and Brussels-Capital Region (its French-speaking majority) | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony | ||
| 1993 | French is spoken as a foreign language by 9% of the Bulgarian people, and taught as a main foreign language in about 25% of primary schools. Furthermore, French is studied by 7.7% of high school students.[7] [8] | |||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony. Membership suspended in 2022 due to a coup. | ||
| 1970 | officially trilingual, French | Former Belgian UN-protectorate | ||
| 1993 | Former French protectorate (as a part of former French Indochina) | |||
| 1991 | officially bilingual, French included | Over 90% of country was a French protectorate (1945–1959) | ||
| 1970 | Officially bilingual, French included | The provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick are participating governments; much of eastern Canada was part of the first French colonial empire. As of 2004, a government representative from Ontario also attends as part of the Canadian delegation, although Ontario is not yet a participating government in its own right. | ||
| 1977 | officially bilingual, French included | Considered a "participating government", this province of Canada is officially bilingual English-French and home to the largest community of Acadians. | ||
| 1971 | French | Considered a "participating government", this province of Canada has French as its official language and is home to 85% of Canada's native francophones. | ||
| 1996 | French is spoken as a foreign language by ~11% of the population as of 2014 | |||
| 1973 | officially bilingual, French included | Former French colony. The Central African Republic was suspended for instances of la Francophonie at the 88th session of the CPF in March 2012.[9] | ||
| 1970 | officially bilingual, French included | Former French colony | ||
| 1977 | officially trilingual, French included | Former French colony | ||
| 1981 | French | Former French colony | ||
| 1977 | French | Former Belgian colony. See also: Languages of the DRC | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony. See also: Languages of Côte d'Ivoire | ||
| 1977 | officially bilingual, French included | Former French colony | ||
| 1979 | French and then British colony; Antillean Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by 90% of the population. | |||
| 1983 | French sees use as foreign language in education and the country was a French colony for a short period from 1798 to 1801 | |||
| 1989 | officially trilingual, French included | Country surrounded by French-speaking countries. Former Spanish colony | ||
| 1970 | French | Founder, origin of the French language | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony | ||
| 2004 | French spoken as a foreign language by ~7% of the population as of 2014 | |||
| 1981 | French | Former French colony. Membership suspended in 2021 due to a coup. | ||
| 1979 | Country surrounded by French-speaking countries. Former Portuguese colony. Guinea-Bissau was suspended on 18 April 2012 following a coup d'état.[10] | |||
| 1970 | officially bilingual, French included | Former French colony | ||
| 1991 | Former French colony (as a part of former French Indochina) | |||
| 1973 | Arabic and French | Under a French mandate from 1920 to 1943 | ||
| 1970 | Officially trilingual, French included | |||
| 2001 | French spoken as a foreign language by ~11% of the population as of 2014 | |||
| 1970–1977, 1989 | officially bilingual, French included | Former French colony | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony. Mali's membership was suspended in March 2012 due to a coup,[11] and again in 2020. | ||
| 1980 | Arabic | Former French colony, French is an administrative language. Mauritania's membership was suspended on 26 August 2008, pending democratic elections, after a military coup d'état,[12] then again in April 2009.[13] | ||
| 1970 | Creole is the mother tongue. French and English are also widely used | Dutch, French, and then British colony; French is widely used in commerce and by the media. French is also a language of instruction in schools. | ||
| 1996 | French spoken as a foreign language by ~2% of the population as of 2014 | |||
| 1970 | French | Independent country enclaved in France | ||
| 1981 | Arabic and Berber | Former French and Spanish protectorate | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony. Membership suspended due to a coup in 2023. | ||
| 1993 | French is understood and spoken by 26% of the population. | |||
| 1970 | officially quadralingual, French included | Former Belgian UN-protectorate. In 2009, became a member of the Commonwealth, but remains a member within Francophonie. | ||
| 1981 | English | Former French and British colony. Antillean Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by 90% of the population. | ||
| 1999 | Portuguese | French spoken as a foreign language by ~20% of the population as of 2014 | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony | ||
| 1976 | officially trilingual, French included | Former French colony (first empire), later British colony, French is commonly used | ||
| 1996 | Officially quadrilingual, French included | French is the native language of about 20% of all Swiss. | ||
| 1970 | French | Former French colony | ||
| 1970 | Arabic | Former French protectorate | ||
| 1979 | Former French and British condominium of New Hebrides | |||
| 1970 | Former French protectorate |
| Country | Joined | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Cyprus was ruled by the French-origin Lusignan dynasty from 1192 until 1489. About 12% of the Cyprus population speaks and understands French. | ||
| 2006 | English | All land borders with French-speaking countries (all former colonies of French West Africa) and trade partners. Study of French is being made compulsory at the basic educational level and certain subjects will be taught in both English and French. Became Associate Member in 2006.[14] | |
| 2014 | Traditional diplomatic and commercial ties with France. French is taught as a third language in most secondary schools. See further: France-Kosovo relations | ||
| 2016 | Special collectivity of France. Former French colony (1853–1946) and overseas territory (1946–1999) | ||
| 2012 | Arabic | Strong military ties with France. See further: France-Qatar relations | |
| 2006 | Serbian | Traditional diplomatic, military and cultural ties with France. French is widely taught as a second foreign language in schools. See further: France-Serbia relations | |
| 2010 | Arabic | Military and cultural ties with France See further: France-United Arab Emirates relations | |
| Country | Joined | Language | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Argentina has a large French community.Today more than six million Argentines have some degree of French ancestry (up to 17% of the total population).[15] | |||
| 2004 | Strong ties with Belgium, a Francophone country located to the north of France. Roughly 11% of the population also speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 2010 | Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian | |||
| 2014 | Spanish | French is the second compulsory language in middle school. | ||
| 2004 | Croatian | Part of the Illyrian Provinces under Napoleon's French Empire. See further: Croatia-France relations | ||
| 1999 | ~2% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 2010 | Spanish | French colony from 1795 to 1808. | ||
| 2010 | ~1% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 2018 | English | Border with Senegal, a French-speaking country. | ||
| 2004 | ~0.4% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 2004 | ||||
| 2018 | French is the second most common foreign language spoken at home in Ireland (after Polish), and most commonly spoken by those born in Ireland. [16] | |||
| 2008 | ~1% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 1999 | ~2% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. | |||
| 2018 | English | U.S. state with a francophone minority. Once part of the first French colonial empire - now it is home to a strong influence of Cajun, Creole, and Haitian language and culture. Use of the French language in Louisiana is promoted through the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, a state agency that is responsible for preserving the state's "French heritage".[17] | ||
| 2018 | Maltese and English | Formerly occupied by France. | ||
| 2014 | Spanish | A large number of French immigrants arrived in Mexico since the 1830s and today number over six million French descendants.[18] Second Mexican Empire, a puppet state of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III.[19] | ||
| 2010 | Part of the Illyrian Provinces under Napoleon's French Empire. | |||
| 2006 | Portuguese | Trading partner across the Mozambique Channel with French-speaking and the former French colony of Madagascar. | ||
| 2016 | English | A province of Canada whose area was once a part of the Pays d'en Haut region of New France and is home to a francophone minority, the Franco-Ontarians. Although French is an official language in the province's judiciary, legislature, and educational system - the province as a whole is not officially bilingual - with other French-language provincial services not offered province-wide. However, Ontario's French Language Services Act does require Ontario government departments to provide French-language services in areas with significant francophone populations and recognizes the French language as a "historic language of Ontario". | ||
| 1996 | Long-standing cultural and historic ties - Henry III of France was King of Poland from 1573 to 1574 and the Duchy of Warsaw was a client state allied with the First French Empire from 1807 to 1815. France was home to notable Polish émigrés - including Adam Mickiewicz, Frédéric Chopin, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie. | |||
| 2016 | The Joseon Dynasty was invaded twice by the Second French Empire during the 19th century. Furthermore, the Catholic population grew as a result of French Jesuit missionaries in the country. See further: France-South Korea relations | |||
| 2002 | ||||
| 1999 | Part of the Illyrian Provinces under Napoleon's French Empire | |||
| 2008 | Thailand has a history of international relations with France for more than 300 years, since the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Thailand.[20] Suspended on 27 June 2014 following the 2013–14 political crisis.[21] [22] See further: Thailand-France relations | |||
| 2006 | ||||
| 2012 | Spanish |
Note:
Some countries could also potentially join the on the basis of being part of the French colonial empire, including Algeria,[23] [24] [25] Syria, Pondicherry and Chandannagar regions of India. In 2016, Saudi Arabia applied to join the organisation despite having no historical colonial ties with France.[26] However, the Saudis withdrew their bid in October 2018 due to pressure over their human rights record.[27] In 2021, German state of Saarland applied to join the organisation as observer because it was once a French protectorate from 1947 to 1956 - two years after dissolution of Nazi Germany in 1945.[28] In 2022, Brazil applied to join the organisation as observer because neighbouring with the French Guiana at the north and west - have historical site named Fort Coligny in Rio de Janeiro - built by French naval officer Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon in 1555.[29]