French Speaking Countries In West Africa And Their Capitals
West Africa is a part of the African continent that is highly dominated by black people. It is located in Sub-Saharan Africa; the population is 340,000,000 with a density of 49.2 per square kilometers and covers an area of approximately 6,100,000 square kilometers. Western Africa is comprised of eighteen countries and we are taking a look at the list of French-speaking countries in West Africa and their capitals
West African countries unlike other parts of Africa were mainly colonized by France and Great Britain during the colonial era. Many years passed after which West Africa was colonized, then gained independence, saturating into all the West African countries almost simultaneously but within close range. Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African colony to attain independence, and then Guinea followed suit. By 1974, the whole West African countries gained their freedom from French and British colonization and eventually had their independence.
West African nations’ boundaries are closely connected to each other, yet there are differences especially in terms of languages, culture, and religion; These are very significant and not a thing of the comic. The religion obtainable in Western Africa include traditional religions, Christian and Islamic religions which are the two major religions practiced in West Africa, and in every boundary, there exists a culture different from another boundary.
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is the main body of West African countries and is the bridge that covers the gap which unites them all.
List Of French Speaking Countries In West Africa, Their Capitals and PRESIDENTS
1. Senegal – Dakar
Officially called the Republic of Senegal. It is the 86th largest country in the world in terms of land area and has a population of over 15 million people as of 2017. Mauritania borders it in the north, Mali borders it to the east, and Guinea borders it to the southeast.
Dakar is the capital of Senegal and is the political and economic center of the country as well as the largest city; it also is one of the biggest French-speaking cities in Africa. French is the country’s official language. Most people also use their ethnic languages. The president of the country is President Macky Sall.
2. Mali – Bamako
Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa Officially called the Republic of Mali. To the northeast it is bordered by Algeria, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast to the South, Guinea borders it to the southeast, and Senegal and Mauritania to the west. It is the 8th largest country in Africa and the 24th in the world with a population of over 18 million people.
Bamako is the country’s capital and the largest city and it is situated on the river Niger. Most part of the country lies in the southern Saharan desert. The official language is French (although there are also 40 African native languages spoken in the country). The president of the country is Colonel Assimi Goita.
3. Guinea – Conakry
This country is sometimes referred to as Guinea – Conakry. This is for the sole reason so as to differentiate it from other wider regions having the same name. Officially it is called “The Republic of Guinea” formerly known as French Guinea or Guinea-Conakry. Guinea is bordered by Guinea – Bissau to the Northwest, bordered by Senegal to the North, bordered by Mali to the northeast, ivory coast to the Southeast, to the south it is bordered by Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The population of this country as of 2017 is over 13 million persons, it in terms of the land area it is the 77th largest country in the world and the. The capital is Conakry city and at the same time the largest city in the country. The official language of Guinea is French. The president of the country is President Mamady Doumbouya.
4. Mauritania – Nouakchott
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is one of the Francophone countries in West Africa. It is said to be the largest country in Africa. In terms of land area, it is the 11th largest in Africa and the 29th in the world. The capital is Nouakchott city and the largest city. French is widely used in the media and among educated classes but the major language spoken in Mauritania are Hassaniya Arabic and Pulaar. The population is over 4 million people. The President of Mauritania is Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
5. Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) – Yamoussoukro
March 10, 1893, was the date the Cote d’ Ivoire became a French colony officially and became an independent republic in 1958. President Alassane Ouattara is the number one citizen of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Yamoussoukro is the political and administrative capital of the country but its economic and commercial capital and also the largest city is the Port City of Abidjan.
The population of this country is over 23 million people and the country border to the west by Guinea and Liberia, Burkina Faso and Mali to the North, and Ghana to the east. The official language of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) official language is French.
6. Burkina Faso – Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso, one of the French-speaking countries in West Africa, a landlocked area Is Formerly known as “Upper Volta”, changed its name after independence from France in 1960, 5th of August. It is bordered to the north by Mali, to the east by Niger, to the southeast by Benin, to the south by Togo, and Ghana and Ivory coast bordered it to the Southwest.
The population is over 18 million people and is the 75th largest country in the world in terms of land area. Its capital is Ouagadougou and is also the largest city in the country. A multilingual country where 69 languages are spoken. French is widespread and is the major language particularly in the north of the country. Burkina Faso’s main export is gold, followed by animals and cotton. President Capt. Ibrahim Traore.
7. Togo – Lome
Officially referred to as the Togolese Republic. To the west it is bordered by Ghana, to the east, it is bordered by Benin and to the north, it is bordered by Burkina Faso. The population of Togo as of 2017 is over 7 million and it is the 123rd largest country in the world in terms of land area.
The capital is Lomé city which also is the largest city in the country. There are 39 languages spoken there, but the official and major languages are French. President Faure Gnassingbe is the number one citizen of the country.
8. Benin – Porto-Norvo
It is officially called the Republic of Benin and the capital is Porto-Novo. The official language of Benin is French, though there are popular languages such as Yoruba and Fon spoken there.
The population of the Benin republic is over 11 million and in terms of land area, it is the 100th country in the world. It is bordered by several countries such as Nigeria to the east, to the north by Niger and Burkina Faso and to the west, Togo. President Patrice Talon is the number one citizen of the country.
9. Niger – Niamey
Niger is bordered to the northeast by Libya, Chad bordered it to the East, Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. The capital is Niamey city and is officially referred to as the Republic of Niger.
The population is over 21 million and it is the 21st largest country in the world in terms of land area. The official language of the country is French. President Mohamed Bazoum is the number one citizen of the country.
More On The List Of Francophone West African Countries are:
The article is about the francophone countries in West Africa and also the individual presiding in each country, that is, their presidents. The French language is still very popular and also an important language in many African countries.
French countries have an administration that conducted French-language education in their colonies. Due to the existence of various languages, French has become a lingua franca or common language in some parts of West Africa.
During the colonial era, the French in West Africa were the big federation of French colonies’ territories. The colonies federation existed from 1895 to 1960, and Dakar was the capital of the federation. Within this long history of the interaction of French people with the people of Western Africa, the French language became a means of communication not only between the colonial master’s local indigenes but it became a language used by the indigenes themselves. After the era of colonialism, the French language did not go extinct among the indigenes but became relevant and lifestyle. The language is still the most relevant and continues to develop.
Closing
In conclusion, the French language is used for education in most of these countries. Of course, the language was in some way changed to suit them for easy communication. This means the language has been altered by the locals or indigenes so that they can easily relate and communicate with themselves.
But, other than the accent that’s changed (i.e. example French spoken in Senegal tend to be quite close to standard French (that of France) while Cote d’Ivoire people speak “broken” (some sort of slang French). That’s all about French Speaking Countries In West Africa and Their Capitals, Francophone Countries In West Africa and Their Presidents.
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