francophone

Francophone is a term used to describe people, communities, or contexts in which French is spoken. As a noun, a Francophone can be a person whose primary language is French or who uses French regularly; as an adjective, it describes things related to the French language or to French-speaking communities, such as Francophone literature or Francophone Africa. The term is also used to refer to the global community of French-speaking peoples and to institutions associated with that community, often collectively called La Francophonie.

French is an official language or widely spoken in many countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Francophone populations are especially prominent in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (notably Quebec), and dozens of countries in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Madagascar, Niger, Cameroon, and Mali. In many places, French coexists with local languages, and some communities have distinct regional varieties of French.

International organization: The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, founded in 1970, coordinates political, cultural, educational, and linguistic cooperation among member states and governments and promotes the use of French and the diversity of Francophone cultures. The francophone world also includes learners and users of French in non-member states, and French-language media, education systems, and diaspora communities.

Dialectal and cultural variation: Francophone communities exhibit diverse varieties of French, including Quebec French, Belgian French, African French varieties, and Caribbean French. The Francophone concept emphasizes language and cultural exchange rather than a single ethnicity. See also La Francophonie.