Geographical distribution of French speakersThe French language became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the language of European diplomacy and international relations. According to the 2022 report of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), 409 million people speak French.
Channel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. They are considered the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy and, although they are not part of the United Kingdom, the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands.
Cotentin PeninsulaThe Cotentin Peninsula (USˌkoʊtɒ̃ˈtæ̃, kɔtɑ̃tɛ̃; Cotentîn kotɑ̃ˈtẽ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gulf of Saint-Malo and the Channel Islands, and to the southwest lies the peninsula of Brittany. The peninsula lies wholly within the department of Manche, in the region of Normandy.
GuernseyGuernsey (ˈɡɜːrnzi; Guernésiais: Guernési; Guernesey) is the second largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It forms the major part of the jurisdiction of the same name, which also comprises three other inhabited islands (Herm, Jethou and Lihou) and many small islets and rocks. The jurisdiction has a population of 63,950 and the island has a land area of . Guernsey was part of the Duchy of Normandy until 1204, when the Channel Islands remained loyal to the English crown, splitting from mainland Normandy.
Old FrenchOld French (franceis, françois, romanz; Modern French: ancien français) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the 8th and the 14th century. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligible yet diverse. These dialects came to be collectively known as the langue d'oïl, contrasting with the langue d'oc in the south of France. The mid-14th century witnessed the emergence of Middle French, the language of the French Renaissance in the Île de France region; this dialect was a predecessor to Modern French.
NormandyNormandy (ˈnɔrməndi; Normandie nɔʁmɑ̃di; Normaundie, Nouormandie nɔʁ.mɛnde; from Old French Normanz, plural of Normant, originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular Normandy (mostly the British Channel Islands). It covers . Its population is 3,499,280.