La Francophonie

La Francophonie (occasionally in English Francophony, formally l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), a French language term coined in 1880 by French geographer Onésime Reclus to designate the community of people and countries using French, is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments. 49 states and governments are members of the organisation, four others (Albania, Andorra, Greece, Republic of Macedonia) are associate members, and ten additional states (Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia) are invited observers of its Summits. French is at least a minor language in all its member states, and is in fact the sole major language of only a few.

See also

• French colonial empire
• Agence de coopération culturelle et technique
• Minister responsible for La Francophonie (Canada)
• Jeux de la Francophonie
• Colonization of Africa
• Cultural diversity
• Education
• Community of Portuguese Language Countries
• the Latin Union
• Commonwealth of Nations
• French in the United States