French is the native language of 76 million people worldwide; about 280 million people speak it as a second or third language, with significant speakers in 54 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
French is a Latin derivate. Its development was also influenced by the native Celtic languages of Roman Gaul and the Germanic language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. It is an official language in 31 countries, most of which form La Francophonie, an organized community of French-speaking nations.
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