Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

The (OIF; sometimes shortened to the Francophonie, , is the name of the "French-speaking world".}} sometimes also called International Organisation of in English) is an international organization representing countries and regions where French is a lingua franca or customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are francophones (French speakers), or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture.

The organization comprises 88 member states and governments; of these, 54 states and governments are full members, 7 are associate members and 27 are observers. The term (with a lowercase "f"), or ''francosphere'' (often capitalized in English), also refers to the global community of French-speaking peoples, comprising a network of private and public organizations promoting equal ties among countries where French or Belgian people or France or Belgium played a significant historical role, culturally, militarily, or politically.

The modern organisation was created in 1970. Its motto is '', , '' ("equality, complementarity, and solidarity"), a deliberate allusion to France's motto . Starting as a small group of French-speaking countries, the Francophonie has since evolved into a global organization whose numerous branches cooperate with its member states in the fields of culture, science, economy, justice, and peace. Provided by Wikipedia