African countries have gone through series of colonization periods and thus, have had to be speaking languages which are considered foreign. One of those languages spoken by Africans are French, Dutch, English, Spanish, etc. This content has therefore has taken it upon itself to educate you on list of African countries that speak French as official language.
Africa is arguably the most diverse continent in the world. It is home to nearly 2,000 languages, and French is one of the most widely spoken, along with English, Swahili, and Hausa. French is the official language in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, the Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, the Seychelles, and Togo. It is also a de facto language in countries like Mauritania and Mauritius. Additionally, many of the largest Francophone cities are in African countries.
In fact, Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, surpasses Paris as the most populated French-speaking city in the world. Much like the Francophone literature from other parts of the world, many works from this region are rich and thought-provoking.
List of African Countries that Speak French as Official Language
There are a number of countries all over the world that speak the French language but this article will be concentrated on the list of African countries that speak French as official language. While some speak the language primarily because it is their official language, others speak it as a side language along with their official one.
Benin
Benin, located in the west, is one of Africa’s most stable democracies. French is the official language of this country of 11 million people. The people of Benin speak Fon, Ge, Bariba, Yoruba, and Dendi, as well.
Burkina Faso
With a population of 18.6 million, this is one of the poorest countries in Africa. It is located in the west and is landlocked. French is the official language, although other indigenous language are also spoken.
Burundi
Burundi is another one of the poorest countries and has a population of about 10 million. You have probably heard of the conflicts between the Tutsi and Hutu groups, some of this is in Burundi. It is located in the east and the official languages are French and Kirundi.
Cameroon
This country located in central Africa has one of the highest literacy rates on the continent and is known as “Africa in miniature” due to its diversity. With over 200 linguistic groups, the official languages are French and English. They also speak the languages of Bantu, Semi-Bantu and Sudanic groups.
Comoros
Comoros is a country located off the eastern coast of Africa, east of Madagascar. It is made up of the islands of Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan, and Mayotte, as well as many smaller islands. The population is 813,000 and the official languages are French, Arabic, and Comorian.
Republic of Congo
This country of 5 million people and is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s major oil producers. The official language is French.
Democratic Republic of Congo
With a population of 81.5 million, this huge central African country has been plagued by civil war and corruption in the recent past. The official language is French while Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo, and Tshiluba are also spoken.
Ivory Coast
Located in western Africa, The Ivory Coast is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans. French is the official language in this country of 23.7 million people.
Republic of Djibouti
Many countries have military bases in this important coastal nation. Djibouti is the gateway to the Suez Canal which is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. French is the official language of this country of just under 1 million. Arabic, Somali and Afar are also spoken.
Gabon
One of the most stable countries in western Africa, Gabon has a population of 1.5 million people whose official language is French. Other Bantu group languages are also spoken here.
Guinea
This country of 10.5 million, located in western Africa, has the potential to be one of the richest countries in Africa due to its vast mineral wealth. Nonetheless, its people are some of the poorest in the region. The official language is French, and Susu, Fulani, and Mandingo are also spoken.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is found, you guessed it, near the equator just to the north of Gabon. It is a small country with 1.2 million people. The official languages are Spanish, French, and (as of 2010) Portuguese.
Madagascar
25 million people live on this large island off the east coast of the African continent. In fact, it is the 4th largest island in the world! Madagascar is known for its wildlife. The official languages are Malagasy and French.
Mali
Many westerners have heard of Mali and the northern city of Timbuktu. Mali is one of the largest countries in Africa. The population of 18.5 million speaks French as the official language. Other major languages spoken include Bambara, Berber, and Arabic.
Niger
Niger is located to the east of Mali and is on the edge of the Sahara desert. It has a population of 16.6 million people and is noted as being a major transit route for migrants heading to Europe. The official language is French, and people also speak Hausa, Songhai, and Arabic.
Central African Republic
This is a landlocked country in central Africa that is rich in diamonds, gold, oil, and uranium. The population of 4.7 million has been operating under a transitional government since 2014. French is the official language, but Sangho is the lingua franca of this country.
Rwanda
Rwanda is located just north of Burundi and has suffered much from the conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu groups. There is a great film called, Hotel Rwanda, that will help give you an idea of what happened here. Kinyarwanda, French, and English are the official languages of this country of 11.2 million people.
Senegal
Senegal is known as one of Africa’s model democracies. It is in northwest Africa and has had a tradition of stable governments. Dakar is the capital city of this country of 15.5 million people. French is the official language and Wolof is the lingua franca.
The Seychelles
This group of islands lies to the north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The 94,000 inhabitants speak French, English, and Seychellois Creole as their official languages. The Seychelles enjoy a high per capita income as well as good healthcare and education systems.
Chad
Chad, is Africa’s fifth largest country and has become an official oil producing nation as of 2003. French and Arabic are the official languages of this country with 11.8 million people.
Togo
The Togolese Republic is in western Africa. It has struggled to become a stable country since it gained independence from France in 1960. The population of 7.6 million people speaks French as their official language.
Other French-speaking Countries where the language is not official are:
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Qatar
- Tunisia
