Official Languages:
* Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo
* Europe: Belgium (along with Dutch and German), France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland (along with German, Italian, and Romansh)
* North America: Canada (along with English), Haiti
* Oceania: Vanuatu (along with English and Bislama)
* Other: There are other countries that have French as an official language, but it's not the primary language, like some territories in the Caribbean, and some countries in the Middle East.
Widely Spoken:
* Africa: Many countries in Africa have a large French-speaking population even if it's not the official language. This includes countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
* Other: French is also widely spoken in many other countries due to its historical influence, like in Vietnam, Lebanon, and some parts of India.
It's Important to Note:
* Regional Variations: French varies significantly between regions. For example, Canadian French is different from French spoken in France, and French spoken in Africa often has unique dialects and influences.
* Language Levels: Even in countries where French is official, not everyone speaks it fluently. In some places, it's mostly used in government, education, and certain sectors, while the majority of the population uses other languages.
Instead of saying a country "speaks French," it's more accurate to say:
* "French is an official language of..."
* "French is widely spoken in..."
* "A significant portion of the population speaks French in..."
This provides a more nuanced and accurate picture of the language landscape.