Francophone Canadian
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
5,077,215 in Canada (self-identified by ancestry, 2011 Census) c. 10,000,000 (French-speaking Canadians) c. 2,100,842 in United States |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Canada, especially Quebec, New Brunswick, and Northern or Eastern Ontario, significant minority found in the United States (French Canadian Americans), mostly found in Louisiana; smaller populations in New England, New York and Michigan | |
| Languages | |
| French, English | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholic, minority Protestant | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French, Bretons, Acadians, Cajuns, Métis, French Americans, French Canadian Americans, French Haitians, Brayons |
French Canadians (also referred to as Franco-Canadians or Canadiens; French: Canadien(ne)s français(es)) are an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to French colonists who settled in Canada from the 17th century onward. Today, French Canadians constitute the main French-speaking population in Canada, accounting for about 22% of the total population.
During the mid-18th century, Canadian colonists born in French Canada expanded across North America and colonized various regions, cities, and towns; the French Canadian settlers originated primarily from districts in the west of France, such as Normandy, Perche, Beauce, Maine, Anjou, Touraine, Poitou, Aunis, Angoumois, Saintonge and Gascony.
Today, French Canadians live across North America. Most French Canadians reside in Quebec, and are more commonly referred to as Quebecers or Québécois, although smaller communities exist throughout Canada and in the United States. Between 1840 and 1930, roughly 900,000 French Canadians emigrated to the United States, mostly to the New England region.Acadians (Acadiens), who reside in the Maritimes, may be included among the French Canadian group in linguistic contexts, but are considered a separate group from the French Canadians in a cultural sense due to their distinct history, much of which predates the admission of the Maritime Provinces to Canadian Confederation in 1867.
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Wikipedia