French is an Official spoken language in all United Nations agencies and in a large number of international organization.

 

French is also the official language in France's overseas territories of French Polynesia, New Caledonia, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélémy, Saint Martin, Mayotte, Réunion, and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. Furthermore, French is an official language of Lebanon, along with Arabic. In Laos and Cambodia, French is still an administrative language, and it is the most commonly taught third language in India. In French-speaking Africa (essentially the western and central parts of the continent), French is a first language for some and a widely spoken second language for many. Where access to education spreads over the continent, more and more people speak French. A large number of second-language French speakers are also found in the Caribbean (e.g., Haiti). In the United States, French is the third most-spoken language, after English and Spanish, and the second most-spoken in the states of Louisiana, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Louisiana is home to many distinct dialects, of which Cajun French has the largest number of speakers. The population of immigrant French speakers has been growing rapidly in recent years, especially in cities such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. In Canada, French is the second most common language after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. French is the sole official language in the province of Quebec, being the mother tongue for some 6 million people. New Brunswick, where about a third of the population is francophone, is the only officially bilingual province. In the European Union, French is the third most spoken language after German and English. The official community of French-speaking nations (where French is either an official language or the second language), the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, is comprised of 54 states. French is also an official language of all United Nations agencies and a large number of international organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee.