Editing French language (section)

=== Americas ===
{{Further|Languages of North America|Languages of South America|Languages of the Caribbean|French language in Canada}}

==== Canada ====
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = French language distribution in Canada.png
| caption1          = French language distribution in Canada
{{legend|#0049a2|Regions where French is the main language and an official language at both the federal and provincial level}}
{{legend|#006aFF|Regions where French is an official language at the federal level but not a majority native language or an official language at the provincial level}}
| image2            = Arret.jpg
| caption2          = The [[Stop sign|"arrêt" signs]] (French for "stop") are used in the Canadian province of Québec, while the English ''stop'', which is also a valid French word, is used in France and other French-speaking countries and regions.
}}
French is the second most commonly spoken language in Canada and one of two federal official languages alongside English. As of the [[2021 Canadian census]], it was the native language of 7.7&nbsp;million people (21% of the population) and the second language of 2.9&nbsp;million (8% of the population).<ref name="2021-census">{{cite web |title=Profile table |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Quebec&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124,2021A000224&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=15,13,18,12,16,14,17,45,46,47 |website=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population | date=9 February 2022 |publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] |access-date=2024-11-13}}</ref><ref name="Qu'est-ce que la Francophonie">{{Cite web |title=Francophonie ("Qu'est-ce que la Francophonie?") |url=http://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/francophonie/francophonie.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713040533/http://www.axl.cefan.ulaval.ca/francophonie/francophonie.htm |archive-date=13 July 2015 |access-date=6 July 2015 |website=axl.cefan.ulaval.ca}}</ref> French is the sole official language in the province of [[Quebec]], where some 80% of the population speak it as a native language and 95% are capable of conducting a conversation in it.<ref name="2021-census"/> Quebec is also home to the city of [[Montreal]], which is the world's fourth-largest French-speaking city, by number of first language speakers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Montreal |url=https://www.olympiccities.org/montreal/ |website=World Union of Olympic Cities |access-date=2024-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007092422/https://www.olympiccities.org/montreal/ |archive-date=2024-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Péladeau |first1=Pierrot |title=Montréal n'est pas la deuxième ville française du monde |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2014/09/13/montreal-nest-pas-la-deuxieme-ville-francaise-du-monde |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Journal de Montréal |date=2014-09-13 |language=fr-ca}}</ref> [[New Brunswick]] and [[Manitoba]] are the only officially bilingual provinces, though full bilingualism is enacted only in New Brunswick, where about one third of the population is Francophone. French is also an official language of all of the territories ([[Northwest Territories]], [[Nunavut]], and [[Yukon]]). Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, making up just under 4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2010 |title=Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) (2006 Census) |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202091813/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |archive-date=2 February 2009 |access-date=22 February 2011 |publisher=2.statcan.ca}}</ref> Furthermore, while French is not an official language in [[Ontario]], the [[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]] ensures that provincial services are available in the language. The Act applies to areas of the province where there are significant Francophone communities, namely [[Eastern Ontario]] and [[Northern Ontario]]. Elsewhere, sizable French-speaking minorities are found in southern Manitoba, [[Nova Scotia]], Prince Edward Island and the [[Port au Port Peninsula]] in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unique [[Newfoundland French]] dialect was historically spoken. Smaller pockets of French speakers exist in all other provinces. The Ontarian city of [[Ottawa]], the Canadian capital, is also effectively bilingual, as it has a large population of federal government workers, who are required to offer services in both French and English,<ref>{{cite web |title=Services and communications from federal institutions |url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/language-rights/services-communications-federal-institutions |website=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=2024-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241114030845/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/language-rights/services-communications-federal-institutions |archive-date=2024-11-14}}</ref> and is just across the river from the Quebecois city of [[Gatineau]].

==== United States ====
[[File:French in the United States.png|thumb|French language spread in the United States. Counties marked in lighter pink are those where 6–12% of the population speaks French at home; medium pink, 12–18%; darker pink, over 18%. [[French-based creole languages]] are not included.]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]] (2011), French is the fourth<ref>{{Cite web |title=Language Use in the United States: 2011, American Community Survey Reports, Camille Ryan, Issued August 2013 |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205101044/http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |archive-date=5 February 2016 |access-date=18 February 2018}}</ref> most spoken language in the United States after English, Spanish, and Chinese, when all forms of French are considered together and all dialects of Chinese are similarly combined. French is the second-most spoken language (after English) in the states of [[Maine]] and [[New Hampshire]]. In [[Louisiana]], it is tied with Spanish for second-most spoken if Louisiana French and all creoles such as Haitian are included. French is the third most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in the states of [[Connecticut]], [[Rhode Island]], and [[New Hampshire]].<ref name="factfinder2.census.gov">{{Cite web |title=Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over : Universe: Population 5 years and over: 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates?? |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_B16001&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212054904/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_B16001&prodType=table |archive-date=2020-02-12 |access-date=2015-03-14 |publisher=Factfinder2.census.gov}}</ref> Louisiana is home to many distinct French dialects, collectively known as [[Louisiana French]]. [[New England French]], essentially a variant of [[Canadian French]], is spoken in parts of [[New England]]. [[Missouri French]] was historically spoken in [[Missouri]] and [[Illinois]] (formerly known as [[Upper Louisiana]]), but is nearly extinct today.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ammon |first1=Ulrich |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=geh261xgI8sC |title=Status and Function of Languages and Language Varieties |last2=International Sociological Association |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-89925-356-5 |pages=306–08 |access-date=14 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918104854/https://books.google.com/books?id=geh261xgI8sC |archive-date=18 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> French also survived in isolated pockets along the [[Gulf Coast]] of what was previously French [[Lower Louisiana]], such as [[Mon Louis Island]], Alabama and [[DeLisle, Mississippi]] (the latter only being discovered by linguists in the 1990s) but these varieties are severely endangered or presumed extinct.

==== Caribbean ====
French is one of two official languages in [[Haiti]] alongside [[Haitian Creole]]. It is the principal language of education, administration, business, and public signage and is spoken by all educated Haitians. It is also used for ceremonial events such as weddings, graduations, and church masses. The vast majority of the population speaks Haitian Creole as their first language; the rest largely speak French as a first language.<ref name="DeGraff2015">{{Cite web |last1=DeGraff |first1=Michel |last2=Ruggles |first2=Molly |date=1 August 2014 |title=A Creole Solution for Haiti's Woes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/opinion/a-creole-solution-for-haitis-woes.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906084134/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/opinion/a-creole-solution-for-haitis-woes.html |archive-date=6 September 2015 |website=The New York Times |page=A17 |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Under the 1987 Constitution, adopted after the overthrow of Jean‑Claude&nbsp;Duvalier's dictatorship, {{bracket|Haitian}}&nbsp;Creole and French have been the two official languages, but most of the population speaks only Creole fluently.}}</ref> As a [[French-based creole languages|French Creole language]], Haitian Creole draws the large majority of its vocabulary from French, with influences from West African languages, as well as several European languages. It is closely related to Louisiana Creole and the creole from the [[Lesser Antilles]].<ref>Ministère de l'Éducation nationale</ref>

French is the sole official language of all the overseas territories of France in the Caribbean that are collectively referred to as the [[French West Indies]], namely [[Guadeloupe]], [[Saint Barthélemy]], [[Collectivity of Saint Martin|Saint Martin]], and [[Martinique]].

==== Other territories ====
French is the official language of both [[French Guiana]] on the South American continent,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guyana – World Travel Guide |url=http://www.worldtravelguide.net/french-guiana/history-language-culture |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018224639/http://www.worldtravelguide.net/french-guiana/history-language-culture |archive-date=18 October 2016 |access-date=17 October 2016}}</ref> and of [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 October 2021 |title=Saint Pierre and Miquelon |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-pierre-and-miquelon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202195959/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-pierre-and-miquelon/ |archive-date=2 February 2021 |access-date=28 January 2021 |website=The World Factbook}}</ref> an archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland in North America.