French Speaking Countries In The Caribbean

The Caribbean may be the most popular tourist destination in the world for Americans, but there’s more to it than palm trees, rum drinks, and beaches. Many of the islands here are part of territories or countries that speak French, as opposed to English. Though English is undoubtedly the lingua franca here, knowing some French can be useful if you plan to travel around the region a bit more widely. So which islands exactly are we talking about? Let’s take a look:

French Speaking Caribbean Nations

• Haiti
• Saint-Martin (French part)
• Saint-Barthélemy
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

Martinique

• Population: 372,000
• Location: the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
• Landscape: volcanic with mountainous interiors; the principal active volcano is Mont Pelée on the island’s northeast coast. The Morne du Carbet summit on Martinique’s southern coast rises to 1,400 meters (4,600 feet). The highest point in Martinique is Mount Turgeau at 1,558 meters (5,117 feet).
• Ethnicity: mostly descendants of African slaves brought to work on sugar plantations during the 18th century; small European minority consisting primarily of French and Spanish immigrants who came after 1789. There are also Dutch and Italian minorities as well as a few smaller groups such as Rastafarians from Jamaica and Dominica (French), Jews (German), Portuguese merchants along with British merchants who settled here during colonial times – all contribute to Martinique’s multi-cultural heritage today!

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an overseas region of France and an archipelago of islands in the Caribbean. Itself an overseas department of France, it is comprised of the main island of Grande-Terre (which is subdivided into two districts: Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre), as well as several other smaller islands around Guadeloupe. Its population was 401,000 at the 2016 census.

Guadeloupean Creole French is considered by most linguists to be a separate language from standard French; however, its speakers consider themselves as speaking a dialect rather than a derivative language or dialect.

Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with an average income of roughly $700 per year. The country’s population is around 10 million; it is the second-largest island in the Caribbean, after Cuba. It has a French speaking national language called Haitian Creole and a Spanish one called Haitian Creole as well.

Haiti is also known for being one of the most mountainous islands in this region. It has over two thousand mountain peaks above 2,000 meters (6,600 feet).

Saint-Martin

Saint-Martin is the largest of the islands in the Caribbean, and it’s located between French Guiana to the north and Venezuela to the south. The island is divided into two parts: Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) is a nation within France, while Sint Maarten/Saint Martin (Sint Maarten) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of Netherlands.

They are separated by a narrow strait that can be crossed by bridges on either side. Despite being part of two different countries, both sides have nearly identical cultures—and this makes them perfect vacation spots!

Saint-Barthélemy

First, let’s start with some geography.

Saint-Barthélemy is a French island in the Caribbean, located south of Saint Martin and north of Martinique. The island is part of the French Overseas Region and Department of Guadeloupe. It’s known for its luxury hotels and restaurants, as well as its many beaches.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is a French archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland, which belongs to France. It’s part of a group of islands called Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

It’s located in the North American region that we call North America, but it’s also part of Europe because it’s not in South America or Africa.

The archipelago is made up of two main islands: St Pierre Island, where you can find Fort Louis XVIII; and Miquelon Island (also known as Île aux Vaisseaux). St Pierre Island is home to most residents on this island cluster, while most who live on Miquelon Island are fisherman who fish for codfish or turbot by day and then serves them up at night to customers at their restaurants!

French is spoken in quite a few Caribbean territories

French is spoken in quite a few Caribbean territories. These include Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The official languages of these countries are French or English but many locals also speak Creole which is the local form of French that was created by African slaves imported to work on sugar plantations. If you take a trip through any of these islands you will hear lots of people speaking Creole as well as some English words mixed in with their French sentences.

Conclusion

If you decide to travel to any of the French-speaking Caribbean countries, you will be able to find at least one island that speaks French. The other Caribbean islands are beautiful and great places to visit as well.