Francophonie: A Review

La Francophonie – The French-speaking world

There are many French-speaking countries in the world. Together they are known as the Francophonie – the French-speaking world. Anyone who lives in a French-speaking country or speaks French as a first language can be considered part of the Francophonie.

The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)

The OIF is an official organization comprising 57 official member states whose main language is French. The OIF is designed to bring French-speaking cultures together and share knowledge and culture.

The OIF also puts on les Jeux de la Francophonie – similar to the Commonwealth games – where countries compete in various sports, including athletics and football.

The French Empire  ( a little bit of history)

Up until the early 20th century, Britain, Spain, Portugal and France all had large empires which meant countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia came under their rule. At one time, France ruled around 8 percent of the world’s countries.

Many colonies gained independence after World War One and France still had a strong influence in some countries in Africa and South East Asia up until the 1960s. A result of the colonial era is that many countries still use French as a national language, even though they are no longer ruled by France.

Jessica Ochoa, Step 9.