La Francophonie

The terms francophonie and francophone are used to refer to the diverse countries and regions where French is spoken. This linguistic and cultural space extends well beyond the borders of France to include areas on all five continents.

L’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

In 1970, under the sponsorship of three African government leaders, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie was founded. Its 50 members seek to cooperate in a variety of domains: language and culture, technology, economic development, justice and human rights. Every two years a Francophone “summit” is held in a Francophone country.

Source: Bragger, D. Jeannette and Donald B. Rice. Allons-y! Le Français par Etapes. 6th ed. p. 8. Boston : Thomson Heinle.