French voice-over agency

Which countries have French as a national language?
French is spoken as an official language in the following countries:

Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Vanuatu.

It is also spoken officially in these dependent entities:

Aosta Valley, Clipperton, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Jersey, Guernsey, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Walllis and Futuna.

French is an official language of all United Nations agencies.

How many people speak French as their first language?
It is estimated that around 110 million people worldwide speak French as their first language, with a further 190 million people speaking it as their second language.

In Canada approximately 25% of the population speak French (mostly in Québec, where 95% of the province’s population speak it as their first or second language). In Europe, 45% of Belgians and 20% of Swiss speak French. In Africa, the language is most commonly spoken in Gabon (80% of the population), Mauritius (78%), Algeria (75%), Senegal and Ivory Coast (70%).

Did you know…

• After English, French is the second most studied foreign language in the world, and the only other language to be taught in every country in the world. It plays an important role as a lingua franca, particularly in Africa.
• Historically, French was also the lingua franca of educated Europe, during the period when France was the continent’s leading power (from the 17th to 19th century). The Russian, German and Scandinavian courts all spoke French as their main language.
• There is much variation in accents and vocabulary across different regions of France. Many argue that the classic pronunciation of the language is that used in Touraine (around Tours and the Loire Valley).
• In some parts of France different dialects or native languages are spoken, such as Occitan (officially a French dialect) and Breton (a Celtic language with little in common with French). Up until the early 20th century it was actually declared treason by the French government to speak these languages.

The French economy
In nominal figures, France has the fifth largest economy in the world, and the second largest in Europe (after Germany).

Major industries include agriculture, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. France boasts 39 of the 500 biggest companies in the world, with Paris ranking as the second most important location in the world for company headquarters (after Tokyo). The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has its headquarters in Paris.