French Canadian

:"Canadiens" redirects here. For the ice hockey team, see Montreal Canadiens.

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French Canadian is a term that has several different connotations. In general, it refers to inhabitants of Canada who are francophone (French speaking) or whose ancestry is French Canadian and who identify with their French-Canadian heritage. With the exception of the Acadians who have a distinct shared history, most French Canadians find their ancestry among agriculturalists from France who colonized the area that is now Quebec during Canada's colonial period starting in the 17th century.

Related Topics:
Canada - Francophone - Acadians - Agriculturalists - France - Quebec - 17th century

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Franco-Canadian is a similar term but does not imply longstanding ancestry on Canadian soil. It is sometimes used to designate recent immigrants from France or other French-speaking countries.

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Francophone Canadians are found across Canada. Six million of Canada's French speakers are found in the province of Quebec, where they constitute the majority language group, and another one million are distributed throughout the rest of Canada. Roughly 31 per cent of Canadian citizens are French-speaking and 25 per cent are of French-Canadian descent. Not all French speakers are of French descent, especially in modern-day Quebec, and not all people of French-Canadian heritage are exclusively or primarily French-speaking.

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Francophone cultures are an integral part of Canadian culture and Canadian literature.

Related Topics:
Canadian culture - Canadian literature

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