Research Guides: Modern Languages: Spanish, French and Italian Resources: French Speaking Countries

About This Guide

This guide will help you to locate resources related to French-speaking countries and get started on your research for the Francophone country project.

French-speaking countries/areas

You can pick a French-speaking country or area from the following list:

Belgium

Burundi

Cameroun

Haiti

Ivory Coast

Lebanon

Madagascar

Mali

Monaco

Morocco

Senegal

Seychelles Islands

Switzerland

Tunisia

Québec*

Louisiana*

Martinique*

Guadeloupe*

Tahiti*

*These last five are not "countries" but there is still a lot to talk about.

Suggested Books

Countries and Their Cultures by Melvin Ember (Editor); Carol R. Ember (Editor)
Call Number: REF GN307 .C68 2001
ISBN: 0028649508
Publication Date: 2001-05-23
This four-volume encyclopedia, located in the Jennings Library reference collection, provides 10-20 page summaries on the geography, history, demography, languages, food, economy, etiquette, politics, family, religion, and arts and humanities of approximately 200 countries.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life by Timothy L. Gall (Editor)
Call Number: REF GN333 .W67 1998
ISBN: 0787605522
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
The Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life covers cultural groups in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America by Judy Galens (Editor); Robyn V. Young (Editor)
ISBN: 0810391635
Publication Date: 1995-09-01
This two-volume reference work examines 101 different ethnic groups in the United States, ranging from migrant groups to certain distinct religions. Selection was based on population size or the unique importance of the group. Generally ten to 20 pages long, the signed original articles by recognized scholars contain a general history of the group, a description of the area or country of origin, and an examination of a variety of different aspects of the group's experience in the United States.
The Oxford Companion to Canadian History by Gerald Hallowell (Editor)
ISBN: 0195415590
Publication Date: 2005-01-20
This indispensable guide to Canadian history is comprehensive, authoritative, and - above all - companionable. It is the essential guide to the significant events, issues, institutions, people, and places that have shaped Canadian life from earliest times to the late twentieth century.In more than 1,600 entries, the country's leading historians describe and analyse events in political, military, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual history, drawing on the latest scholarship.

Suggested E-Books

France and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History
This encyclopedia explores the impact of French politics, foreign policy, and culture on various regions in the Americas. Contains entries on Québec and Louisiana.

Databases

Library databases have access to articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers. Every database has different content. This makes it important to use a database that has content on the subject you are researching. In addition, be sure to search in more than one database to find information.

Check out these recommended databases to get started:

Academic Search Premier
A scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 4,770 full-text journals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals. This multi-disciplinary database offers an enormous collection of the most valuable full-text journals, providing users access to critical information from many sources unique to this database. This database is an excellent source of peer-reviewed, full-text for STEM research, as well as for the Social Sciences and Humanities.
National Geographic Archives
Issues from 1888 to 1994 of the award-winning magazine. Features in-depth coverage of cultures, nature, science, technology, and the environment; and spectacular photographic essays.
World Geography and Culture
Study all aspects of a country, with facts at a glance and in-depth coverage through country entries, maps, flags, images, statistics, news articles, a gazetteer, and more.

Recommended Sites

Check out these recommended websites to get started:

EUROPA - Member countries of the European Union
This page on the official website of the European Union (EU) lists key facts about all the member countries of the EU and provides links for additional information about each country.
Library of Congress - Country Profiles
The Country Profiles series, published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, provides brief summaries of the history, geography, society, economy, government and politics of several countries throughout the world.
Literature & Culture of Francophone Africa & the Diaspora
This portal from Brown University Library provides access to several web resources on the art, literature, and music of Francophone Africa, as well as cultural, social, and political issues.

World Factbook
Information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities published by the CIA.

U.S. Department of State - Country Fact Sheets
The U.S. Department of State website provides fact sheets for each country in the world, as well as country-specific travel information and links to other valuable resources.

The Francophone World

Regions where French is the main language

Regions where it is an official language

Regions where it is a second language

Regions where it is a minority language

French in the U.S. (MLA Language Map)

Website Evaluation Tips

Check out these tips when deciding to use an online source. Always be skeptical.

Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher?
Audience: Who is this web site created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group?
Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources?
Content: What is the content of the web site: images, articles, a blog? The type of domain (.edu, .gov, .org) may provide some clues about the information. Can you detect a bias? Are there cited references?
Currency: How recent is the web site? Is there information on when it was last updated?