|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
What is the Francophone World (FRANCOPHONIE) ? The words "Commonwealth" or "Lusophone Communities" may also sound familiar to you. In fact they embody a cohesion within a group of people from various origin but speaking or understanding the same language and sharing the same philosophical, historical and sometimes political values. Thus, the "Francophone world" embraces the French speaking communities whereas the "Lusophones" belong to Portuguese speaking areas and the "Commonwealth" refers both to a language and a trade community. We could picture it this way : the Francophone world is Molière's homeland, the Commonwealth is Shakspeare's and the Lusophone world is that of Camões. Incidentally, there are three various groups with a common language link gathering peoples with different cultures. Some of these countries belong both to the "Francophonie" and to other groups such as Cape Verde which happens to be a Portuguese-speaking country or Cameroon which is also a member of the Commonwealth. So, here is our first web page about the"FRANCOPHONIE". In this early approach those who know little about the organization will have the opportunity to find out the member states and governments of the "International Organization of the Francophonie". "The International Organization of the Francophonie" - OIF -includes so far, 51 states and governments and has admitted four observers. It has been active in the field of international politics and multilateral cooperation. It has relied on one main operator, the "Intergovernmental Agency of the Francophonie"(Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie) formed on March 20,1970, and on four direct operators: the Universitary Agency (l'Agence Universitaire), Senghor University in Alexandria (l'Université Senghor d'Alexandrie),the International Association of Francophone Mayors (l'Association Internationale des Maires Francophones) in addition to TV5. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie is its advisory assembly. We shall do our best to provide a new web page every single month showing the various aspects of the Community. |
|
|
 |
ALBANIA Independence : 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) Languages : Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek Member State since November 1999 |
Tirana |
 |
BENIN Independence : 1 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) Member State since March 1970 |
Porto-Novo Cotonou is the seat of government |
 |
BULGARIA Independence : 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire) Languages : Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown Member State since December 1993 |
Sofia |
 |
BURKINA FASO Independence : 5 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population Member State since March 1970 |
Ouagadougou |
 |
BURUNDI Independence : 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) Languages : Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) Member State since March 1970 |
Bujumbura |
 |
CAMBODIA Independence : 9 November 1953 (from France) Languages : Khmer (official) 95%, French, English Member State since December 1993 |
Phnom Penh |
 |
CAMEROON Independence : 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration), 1 October 1961 (for areas ruled by Britain under UN trusteeship) Languages : 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) Member State since December 1991 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Yaounde |
 |
CANADA Independence : 1 July 1867 (from UK) Languages : English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official), other 17.5% Member State since March 1970 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Ottawa |
 |
CAPE VERDE Independence : 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) Languages : Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) Member State since December 1996 Note : Also member of the CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Lingua Portuguesa/Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) |
Praia |
 |
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Independence : 13 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Sangho (national language), Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili Member State since October 1973 |
Bangui |
 |
CHAD Independence : 11 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in the South), more than 100 different languages and dialects Member State since March 1970 |
N'Djamena |
 |
COMOROS Independence : 6 July 1975 (from France) Languages : Arabic (official), French (official), Comoran (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) Member State since December 1977 |
Moroni |
 |
CONGO, Democratic Republic of the Independence : 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) Languages : French (official), Lingala (a trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba Member State since December 1977 |
Kinshasa |
 |
CONGO, Republic of the Independence : 15 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users) Member State since December 1981 |
Brazzaville |
 |
COTE D'IVOIRE Independence : 7 August (1960) (from France) Languages : French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken * note : although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center. Member State since March 1970 |
Abidjan * |
 |
DJIBOUTI Independence : 27 June 1977 (from France) Languages : French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar Member State since December 1977 |
Djibouti |
 |
DOMINICA Independence : 3 November 1978 (from UK) Languages : English (official), French patois Member State since December 1979 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Roseau |
 |
EQUATORIAL GUINEA Independence : 12 October 1968 (from Spain) Languages : Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo Member State since December 1989 |
Malabo |
 |
FRANCE Independence : 486 (unified by Clovis) Languages : French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) Member State since March 1970 |
Paris |
 |
GABON Independence : 17 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official) .The principal African language is Fang. Eshira is spoken by a tenth of the population. Bantu dialects spoken include Bapounou, Miene and Bateke. Member State since March 1970 |
Libreville |
 |
GUINEA Independence : 2 October 1958 (from France) Languages : French (official), each ethnic group has its own language Member State since December 1981 |
Conakry |
 |
HAITI Independence : 1 January 1804 (from France) Languages : French (official), Creole (official) Member State since August 1970 |
Port-au-Prince |
 |
LAOS Independence : 19 July 1949 (from France) Languages : Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Member State since December 1991 |
Vientiane |
 |
LEBANON Independence : 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) Languages : Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely understood Member State since June 1973 |
Beirut |
 |
LUXEMBOURG Independence : 1839 (from the Netherlands) Languages : Luxembourgian, German, French, English Member State since March 1970 |
Luxembourg |
 |
MACEDONIA, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Independence : 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Languages : Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3% Member State since February 2001 |
Skopje |
 |
MADAGASCAR Independence : 26 June 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Malagian (official) Member State since December 1989 |
Antananarivo |
 |
MALI Independence : 22 September 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages Member State since March 1970 |
Bamako |
 |
MAURITIUS Independence : 12 March 1968 (from UK) Languages : English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori Member State since March 1970 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Port Louis |
 |
MOLDOVA Independence : 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Languages : Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) Member State since February 1996 |
Chisinau |
 |
MONACO Independence : 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi) Languages : French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque Member State since March 1970 |
Monaco |
 |
NIGER Independence : 3 August 1960 (from France) Languages : French (official), Hausa, Djerma Member State since March 1970 |
Niamey |
 |
ROMANIA Independence : 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed on 30 of December 1947) Languages : Romansch, Hungarian, German Member State since December 1993 |
Bucharest |
 |
RWANDA Independence : 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship) Languages : Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers Member State since March 1970 |
Kigali |
 |
SAINT LUCIA Independence : 22 February 1979 (from UK) Languages : English (official), French patois Member State since December 1981 |
Castries |
 |
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE Independence : 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) Languages : Portuguese (official), Creole is also spoken. Some English is spoken, but French is more common. Member State since November 1999 Note : Also member of the CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Lingua Portuguesa) |
Sao Tomé |
 |
SENEGAL Independence : 4 April 1960 from France; complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 (The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on 12 December 1981 (constituted February 1982) that called for the creation of a loose confederation to be known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on 30 September 1989) Languages : French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka Member State since March 1970 |
Dakar |
 |
SEYCHELLES Independence : 29 June 1976 (from UK) Languages : English (official), French (official), Creole Member State since June 1976 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Victoria |
 |
SWITZERLAND Independence : 1 August 1291 Languages : German (official 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9% Member State since February 1996 |
Bern |
 |
TOGO Independence : 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) Languages : French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north) Member State since March 1970 |
Lome |
 |
TUNISIA Independence : 20 March 1956 (from France) Languages : Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) Member State since March 1970 |
Tunis |
 |
VANUATU Independence : 30 July 1980 (from France and UK) Languages : English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) Member State since December 1979 Note : Also member of The Commonwealth |
Port-Vila |
 |
VIETNAM Independence : 2 September 1945 (from France) Languages : Vietnamese (official), Chinese, English, French, Khmer, tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) Member State since March 1970 |
Hanoi |
|
|
 |
EGYPT Independence : 28 February 1922 (from UK) Languages : Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes Associated State since December 1983 |
Cairo |
 |
GUINEA -BISSAU Independence : 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal) Languages : Portuguese (official), the majority of the population speak Guinean Creole. Balante and Fulani languages are also spoken. Associated State since December 1979 Note : Also member of the CPLP (Comunidade dos Países de Lingua Portuguesa/ Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) |
Bissau |
 |
MOROCCO Independence : 2 March 1956 (from France) Languages : Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy Associated State since December 1981 |
Rabat |
|
|
MAURITANIA Independence : 28 November 1960 (from France) Languages : Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French Associated State since March 1980 |
Nouakchott |
|
|
 |
COMMUNAUTÉ FRANÇAISE DE BELGIQUE / FRENCH COMMUNITY OF BELGIUM Participating community since 1980 |
 |
NEW-BRUNSWICK (CANADA) Participating Government since December 1977 |
 |
QUÉBEC (CANADA) Participating Government since October 1971 |
