French
RegionFrance/West Africa
FamilyIndo-European (Romance)
Speakers280 million total
ScriptLatin
TypeAlphabetic
About French
The language of diplomacy for centuries. Official in 29 countries, mostly in Africa. The Academie francaise has guarded French purity since 1635. French was the official language of England for 300 years after the Norman conquest. Africa will host 85% of French speakers by 2050.
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