Countries to Meet French Men and Women Looking for Love
French people are believed to possess a strong sense of cultural and especially linguistic identity. So if you belong this community and are looking for love, here are some countries in the world where you can meet other French or French-speaking singles.
TIP: This website brings together millionaire French men and women who want to date them.
France
France naturally figures at the top of the list since it is the birthplace of the French national and linguistic identity. The earliest history of the country dates back to 600 BC, when the Ionian Greeks, originating from Phocaea, founded the colony of Massalia where stands present-day Marseille. Today France is among the most developed nations of the world and especially recognized as an important European center of arts and culture. French men and women looking for love in this country can take their pick of various cultures and ethnicities since France has since the twentieth century taken on the hues of a multicultural society. As of 2004, Institut Montaigne estimated that there were 55 million (87%) white people, 6 million (9%) of North African people, 2 million (3%) of Black people and 500 000 (0.5%) people of Asian origin1.
Canada
Canada is one of the most important Francophone countries in the western world. The French presence in Canada dates back to sixteenth century when In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence River and took possession of the territory in the name of King Francis I of France. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was an important event in the history of Francophone Canada which created the Province of Quebec out of New France. Since then Quebec has taken pride in its association with French culture, language and the Catholic faith as well. This took an extreme form during the 1960s and ‘70s with nationalist movements of Quebec demanding sovereignty. Eventually such movements were accommodated into national politics with Quebec allowed to maintain its regional identity. Today Quebec is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level. The capital of the province is Quebec City where French culture is ingrained into the very fundamentals of life and society.
Belgium
Belgium has a long history of shared linguistic and cultural identity with the French, perhaps as a result of the geographical proximity with France. Apart from a small group of German speakers, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish who make up about 60% of the population, and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons who form the other 40%. The latter are based mainly in southern region of Wallonia. Though The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual, it is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. The French Community of Belgium has its own parliament, government, and administration – in fact the political significance of this community can be gauged from the fact that it has given several Prime Ministers to Belgium, including the twice-winning Philippe Moreaux and the present incumbent Rudy Demotte. Culturally too, the French-speaking Belgian community has enriched the French language with such writers as Charles Plisnier and Georges Simenon hailing from Wallonia. For all these reasons this region of Belgium is the best bet for those looking for French partners outside France but in Europe.
Switzerland
Another European country to have a sizeable portion of the population speaking French is Switzerland. The political system of Switzerland is that of a federal republic made up of 26 cantons – among these the cantons to the west have a French-speaking majority population, bordered as they are by France. With around 20.4% of the Swiss populace speaking French2 in the western region, French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland. Romandy is the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It covers the area of the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura as well as the French-speaking parts of the cantons of Bern, Valais and Fribourg. Though the term Romandy does not formally exist in the political system, it is used to distinguish and unify the French-speaking population of Switzerland. The television channel Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR) serves the Romande community across Switzerland. On the whole there is little difference between French spoken in Switzerland from the kind spoken in France; however in rural communities in the French speaking part, there are some dialects of Franco-Provençal known as "Suisse romande", and include those called Vaudois, Gruérien, Jurassien, Empro, Fribourgeois as well as Neuchâtelois. Because of the geographical proximity of western Switzerland to France and many similar cultural aspects, French men and women have one of the best chances of seeking partners with shared background in this part of Switzerland.
Monaco
Monaco is a principality in Western Europe governed under con governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state. Located on the French Riviera in Western Europe, Monaco is bordered by France on three sides, with the fourth being bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. The geographical location of Monaco has naturally led to a heavy French influence with thousands of workers even commuting daily from France. Monaco is the ideal hunting ground for those who are not only looking for partners among French singles but also from a well-to-do social class. The principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gaming facilities have made Monaco world-famous as a tourist and recreation center for the rich and famous. The city-state has one of the highest concentrations of millionaires in the world as well as per capita GDP. The official language of Monaco is French, not surprising since the largest group is French nationals at 28.4%3
Luxembourg
Another small country which may be the ideal hunting ground for those looking for wealthy French partners is Luxembourg. The world’s only remaining grand duchy, Luxembourg is a tiny landlocked country in Western Europe. However despite its size, the state is one of the most economically advanced in the world; in fact according to the IMF, Luxembourg enjoys the highest nominal per capita GDP globally. The largest sector of Luxembourg’s economy is composed of financial services, especially banking. Since Luxembourg's domestic market is relatively small, the country's financial centre is predominantly international. Other major contributors to the economy are manufacturing and tourism so these are the sectors to explore if one is seeking a rich partner in this country. French is one of the three official languages in Luxembourg the even though only national language is Luxembourgish. However most residents can speak, read and write in French, German, and Luxembourgish switching between them effortlessly. The major newspaper in Luxembourg publishes most international news in German, cultural features in French, and classified advertisements in Luxembourgish. The simultaneous use of three languages derives from a combination of historical tradition and economic necessity. Traditionally in schools, German has been the main language of instruction while French is taught as a subject, beginning in the second grade. Over the years though, French becomes more important and by high school replaces German as the language of instruction, with German limited to specialized courses in language and literature. French is the principal language for government legislation and speeches. Street names, shop signs, and menus are written in French, and it is preferred by the more educated, intellectual elite. French is also the lingua franca used to communicate with immigrants, who coming from other parts of Europe already know another Romance language.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo figures on the list of countries to meet French men and women for the simple reason that in terms of numbers, it has one of the largest populations of French speakers. The history of French influence in this African country owes to the colonization of Congo by Belgium during late nineteenth and early twentieth century. French is the official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is meant to be an ethnically neutral language, to ease communication among the many different ethnic groups of the Congo since there are around 242 languages spoken in the country. Those looking for partners from French-speaking African-origin communities are likely to find them in Democratic Republic of Congo whether in the modern environs of the country’s capital Kinshasa or in the countryside where French still serves as the lingua franca.
Ivory Coast
Another African country to have a sizeable French-speaking population is Ivory Coast on the western edge of the continent. The French linguistic influence here is primarily on account of the history of colonization by France in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During this time French colonial policy incorporated concepts of assimilation and association. These were based one hand on an assumption of the superiority of French culture over all others but at the same time pushed for the extension of the French language, institutions, laws, and customs in the colonies to the extent that after 1930, a small number of Westernized Ivoirians were granted the right to apply for French citizenship. In modern times though the influence of French culture has greatly diminished, the French language continues to act as one of the official languages of the country. This is not only the language of instruction in educational institutions but serves as a lingua franca in the country that has several different tribal and ethnic groups, each with its own language. Ivory Coast is well placed to attract those who are looking for French-speaking partners from African descent.
Haiti
Among the Francophone countries of the world are those located in the Caribbeans which had come under French influence during the heyday of European colonization. However Haiti remains unique among these Caribbean nations for a number of reasons. It was the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the first black-led republic in the world. Today Haiti is the most populous of the predominantly Francophone independent nations in the Americas . Apart from Canada, Haiti is the only other independent nation in the Americas to designate French as an official language. Historically the French influence was localized on the western part of the island where the French colonies were established. Even though the colored population here originally came as slaves from Africa, over time a mixed race developed born of slave women and their French masters. The latter also sometimes freed their slave mistresses and the children, so that gradually a class of free people of color grew up, with certain political rights in the colony and who continued the French way of life whereas in the North, the continuing importation of slaves from Africa meant that they kept more distinctly African cultural traditions. Thus those looking for French-speaking singles of Caribbean origin in Haiti would do better to keep to the west of the island. French and Haiti Creole are the official languages of this country. The French influence is evident in most cultural expressions of the island including the Haitian language, music, and religion.
References:
- Log in to post comments
