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.Radio France International, 16 February 2006
List of member, associate, observer states Member states CountryJoinedLanguage Notes 1999 Albanian Brief French protectorate in Korçë between 1916 and 1920. Approximately 30% of young Albanians choose French as their first foreign language. Albania is home to 300,000 French speakers, and it is the second foreign language of education after English. 2004 Catalan Formerly part of First French Empire. The President of France is also a Co-Prince of Andorra. 2012 Armenian See further: Armenia-France relations 1970 officially trilingual, French included French is the native language of about 39% of the population 48% are non-native speakers of French. Belgium's French community is also a member separately. See also: Languages of Belgium and Belgian French * French Community of Belgium 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 Bulgarian 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. 1970 French Former French colony. Membership suspended in 2022 due to a coup. 1970 officially trilingual, French Former Belgian UN-protectorate 1993 Khmer 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 includedThe 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. * 1977officially 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 Portuguese 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. 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'Ivoire2024Greek, TurkishCyprus was ruled by the French-origin Lusignan dynasty from 1192 until 1489. About 12% of the Cyprus population speaks and understands French. 1977 officially bilingual, French included Former French colony 1979 English French and then British colony; Antillean Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by 90% of the population. 1983 Arabic 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 colony2024EnglishAll 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. 2004 Greek French spoken as a foreign language by ~7% of the population as of 2014 1981–2021 2024 French Former French colony. Membership suspended in 2021 due to a coup, but was reinstated in 2024. 1979 Portuguese Country surrounded by French-speaking countries. Former Portuguese colony. Guinea-Bissau was suspended on 18 April 2012 following a coup d'état. 1970 officially bilingual, French included Former French colony 1991 Lao 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 Macedonian 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, 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,"L’OIF suspend la Mauritanie", Radio France Internationale, 27 August 2008 then again in April 2009. 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 Romanian 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 Romanian French is understood and spoken by 26% of the population. 1970 officially quadrilingual, 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 officially trilingual Former French and British condominium of New Hebrides 1970 Vietnamese Former French protectorates and colony, former French associated state
Associate states CountryJoinedLanguage Notes 2014 Albanian and Serbian Traditional diplomatic and commercial ties with France. French is taught as a third language in most secondary schools. See further: France-Kosovo relations 2016 French and New Caledonian languages Sui generis 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
Observer states CountryJoinedLanguage Notes 2024 Portuguese 2016 Spanish and others 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). 2004 German Roughly 11% of the population also speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. 2010 Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian 2024 Spanish Chile has a large French community. French is the second compulsory language in middle school. 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 Czech ~2% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. 2010 Spanish Neighbouring with Francophone Haiti at the west within Hispaniola. 2010 Estonian ~1% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. 2024 French and Tahitian Overseas collectivity and overseas country of France. 2018 English Border with Senegal, a French-speaking country. 2004 Georgian ~0.4% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. 2004 Hungarian 2018 English and Irish French is the second most common foreign language spoken at home in Ireland (after Polish) and most commonly spoken by those born in Ireland. 2008 Latvian ~1% of the population speaks French as a foreign language as of 2014. 1999 Lithuanian ~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". 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. Second Mexican Empire, a puppet state of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III. 2010 Montenegrin 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.* 2024 English A province of Canada that was formerly part of Acadia and contains a community of Acadians. In the 2021 Canadian census, 10.4% of Nova Scotians reported having knowledge of French and 2.9% reported it as their mother tongue. French is also a recognized regional language in Nova Scotia. * 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 Polish 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.* 2024 German A German state that was a French protectorate from 1947 to 1956 — two years after the dissolution of Nazi Germany in 1945. 2002 Slovak 1999 Slovene Part of the Illyrian Provinces under Napoleon's French Empire 2016 Korean 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 2008 Thai Thailand's observer status was suspended from 2014 to 2019 for violating the Constitution, illegitimate seizure of power, and human rights violations.Besides, Thailand has a long history of international relations with France. See further: Thailand-France relations 2006 Ukrainian 2012 Spanish
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