French is the official language of 29 countries including France, parts of Canada and Switzerland, and several African countries.
France's history as a colonial power has helped to spread the French language around the world, along with Belgium, another French-speaking European country. France's colonies in North America in what is now Quebec in Canada and Louisiana in the United States helped to establish French as a common language in these places. French is also spoken in parts of the Caribbean, including Haiti, and the French overseas departments.
African nations in which French is an official language include Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, and Senegal, among others. Even more nations use French as an administrative language, such as Morocco, Laos, and Cambodia.
Last Updated Date: June 16, 2016