France has a rich and diverse culture, and so there are several languages being spoken in different regions of the country. French is the official language of France and by far the most widely spoken language in the country. French is also spoken in parts of Belgium and Switzerland, and former French colonies, including French Guiana, northwestern Africa, Indochina, Haiti, Madagascar, and parts of Canada. In addition to French, several regional languages are still spoken in many areas to varying degrees. Apart from French and historical regional languages of France, there are several other languages spoken by immigrants who form a substantial percentage of the French population.

France has a history dating back to thousands of years. France had been home to Celts, Greeks, Romans, and numerous other civilizations, which substantially contributed to the cultural development of France.

The languages of France reflect the history of settlement of these people in various regions of France. According to 1999 Language Report of the French Government, there were as many as 75 languages in France that could qualify for recognition as Regional or Minority Languages. Most of the regional languages in France are from the same Indo-European language group as of French.

Almost all regional languages of France suffered due to French government policies prior to 1990's. In 1993, in a show of greater tolerance, the French government permitted state schools to teach regional languages. In 1999 Language Report, the French government identified 75 languages to be recognized under the proposed ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Occitan, also called the langue d'oc, is the most widely spoken regional language in southern France.

Provençal, the major dialect of the langue d'oc, is estimated to be spoken by over 6 million people. About a million people living in Alsace speak a dialect of High German, while Breton is widely used in Brittany, and is estimated to be spoken by 600, 000 people.
Catalan is the major regional language in the Pyrenees region of France. Other important regional languages of France are Basque, another language based in the Pyrenees; Flemish, a Dutch dialect spoken by 60, 000 people; and Corse, an Italian dialect spoken on the Island of Corsica. Arabic and Turkish are the principal languages of immigrants in France.

Culture of France

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