French Canadian is a term that has several different connotations. In general, it refers to inhabitants of Canada who are francophone (French speaking) or whose ancestry is French Canadian and who identify with their French-Canadian heritage. With the exception of the Acadians who have a distinct shared history, most French Canadians find their ancestry among agriculturalists from France who colonized the area that is now Québec during Canada's colonial period starting in the 17th century. A Francophone is a person who speaks French natively or by adoption (i. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Franco-Canadian is a similar term but does not imply longstanding ancestry on Canadian soil. It is sometimes used to designate recent immigrants from France or other French-speaking countries.

Francophone Canadians are found across Canada. Six million of Canada's French speakers are found in the province of Québec, where they constitute the majority language group, and another one million are distributed throughout the rest of Canada. Roughly 31 per cent of Canadian citizens are French-speaking and 25 per cent are of French-Canadian descent. Not all French speakers are of French descent, especially in modern-day Québec, and not all people of French-Canadian heritage are exclusively or primarily French-speaking. This article describes the Canadian province. ...

Francophone cultures are an integral part of Canadian culture and Canadian literature. It has been said that Canadian culture rests solely in the effort to distinguish itself from its southern neighbour, the United States. ... How to describe the literature of a nation is often debatable, and is also in natural flux throughout the nations history, so this beginners guide to Canadian literature will offer links to as many actual Canadian authors as possible so the reader can weigh what is being said...

French Canadian groups

A number of distinct groups of French Canadians may be identified. The largest is the Québécois, the majority of whom no longer self-identify as Canadiens-français (French Canadians). Others include: In Canadian English, a Québécois (IPA: As an adjective, the word refers to Quebecs francophone culture or population. ...

• Franco-Albertans, province of Alberta
• Franco-Ontarians, province of Ontario
• Franco-Manitobans, province of Manitoba
• Fransaskois, province of Saskatchewan
• Franco-Columbians, province of British Columbia

There are smaller populations in every other province and territory, as well as in the United States (particularly in New England). The Acadians and Métis are not classified as French Canadians, but as distinct francophone peoples. The Franco-Albertans are an extended community of French-speaking people living in Alberta. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th)  - Land 642,317 km²  - Water 19,531 km² (2. ... Franco-Ontarians (French: Franco-ontarien) are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th)  - Land 917,741 km²  - Water 158,654 km² (14. ... The Franco-Manitobans are a community of French-speaking people living in Manitoba. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Glorious and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Area 647,797 km² (8th)  - Land 553,556 km²  - Water 64,241 km² (14. ... Fransaskois are French speaking Canadians living in the Prairie province of Saskatchewan. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples, strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant Governor Lynda M. Haverstock Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Area 651,036 km² (7th)  - Land 591,670 km²  - Water 59,366 km² (9. ... Franco-Columbians or Franco-Colombiens are French speaking Canadians living in the Pacific province of British Columbia. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Splendour without diminishment) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Area 944,735 km² (5th)  - Land 925,186 km²  - Water 19,549 km² (2. ... Modern New England, the six northeastern-most states of the United States, indicated by red The New England region of the United States is located in the northeastern corner of the country. ... Acadians are the original French settlers of parts of the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. ... The Métis (pronounced MAY tee, SAMPA: [meti], in French: [metis] or, [mEtIs]) are an ethnic group of the Canadian prairies and Ontario. ...

In popular English-Canadian and American usage, the terms for provincial subgroups, if used at all, are usually defined solely by province of residence, with all of the terms being strictly interchangeable with French Canadian. This is, in fact, offensive to many Canadians of French descent who identify strongly with the terms Québécois, Franco-Ontarian, etc., as cultural identities which are not casually interchangeable with each other. English Canada is a term used to describe either: the anglophone residents of Canada or the Canadian provinces other than Quebec and, sometimes, New Brunswick, in which French is an official language of the provincial governments. ...

For example, a woman from Québec who moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba would likely be referred to by many English Canadians as Franco-Manitoban or simply French Canadian. However, she would invariably consider herself a Québécoise living in Manitoba, and would likely reject both Franco-Manitoban and French Canadian as identities. Conversely, a Franco-Ontarian who moved to Montréal would not consider himself Québécois, but a Franco-Ontarian living in Montréal. {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Location. ...

Consequently, French-Canadian individuals and communities should ordinarily be referred to by their appropriate provincial subgrouping (eg. Céline Dion should be referred to as Québécoise, Hearst, Ontario should be referred to as a Franco-Ontarian community, etc.) rather than as simply French Canadian. The term French Canadian should only be used when it is necessary to refer to all of the groups collectively, or where a specific province of origin cannot be determined or would not be accurate (e.g. in a historical context). Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion OC (born March 30, 1968) is a French-Canadian popular vocalist from Quebec, Canada, who has sold more than 180 million records worldwide. ... Hearst (2001 census population 5,825) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

History

The French were the first Europeans to colonize Canada. (See French colonization of the Americas.) Their colonies of New France stretched across what today are the Maritime provinces, southern Québec and Ontario, as well as the entire Mississippi River Valley. The first permanent European settlement in Canada was at Port Royal in 1605. The territories of New France were Canada, Acadia, and Louisiana. The inhabitants of Canada called themselves the Canadiens, the inhabitants of Acadia, the Acadiens, and the inhabitants of Louisiana, the Louisianais. Many French Canadians are the descendants of the King's Daughters of this era. North America The French established colonies across the New World in the 17th century. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... The Maritimes or Maritime provinces are a region of Canada on the Atlantic coast, consisting of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th)  - Land 917,741 km²  - Water 158,654 km² (14. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin Lake Itasca Mouth Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... This article is about the former capital city of Jamaica. ... There is a also a U.S. national park called Acadia National Park; For the former electoral district, see Acadia (electoral district) The national flag of Acadia, adopted in 1884. ... State nickname: Pelican State Other U.S. States Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco Official languages None; English and French de facto Area 134,382 km² (31st)  - Land 112,927 km²  - Water 21,455 km² (16%) Population (2000)  - Population 4,468,976 (22nd)  - Density 39. ... The Kings Daughters (in French: filles du roi) were 774 Frenchwomen who immigrated to New France (now part of Canada) between 1663 and 1673 under the monetary sponsorship of Louis XIV, as an attempt to balance the inequality in number between the males and females in New France. ...

After the 1760 British conquest of New France in the French and Indian War, the French-Canadian population remained important in the life of the colonies. 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ...

The British, who had gained Acadia by the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), deported 75% of the Acadian population to other British colonies at the beginning of the French and Indian War. The French Canadians escaped this fate in part because of the capitulation act that made them British subjects. It took the 1774 Quebec Act for them to regain the French civil law system, and in 1791 French Canadians in Lower Canada were introduced to the British parliamentary system when an elected Legislative Assembly was created. The Treaties of Utrecht (April 11, 1713) were signed in Utrecht, a city of the United Provinces. ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Quebec Act of 1774 was an act by the British Parliament setting out procedures of governance in the area of Quebec. ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Lower Canada was a British colony in North America, at the downstream end of the Saint Lawrence River in the southern portion of the modern-day province of Quebec. ... . A Legislative Assembly in British constitutional thought is the second-to-top or third-to-top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor or a Lieutenant-Governor, inferior to an Executive Council and equal to or inferior to a Legislative Council. ...

The Legislative Assembly having no real power, the political situation degenerated into the Patriotes Rebellion of 1837-1838, after which Lower Canada and Upper Canada were unified. One of the motivations for the union was to limit French Canadian political power. After many decades of British immigration, the Canadiens became a minority in the Province of Canada in the 1850s. Flag used by the Patriotes between 1832 and 1838 The Lower Canada Rebellion is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada (now Quebec) and the British colonial power of that province. ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario Upper Canada is an early name for the land at the upstream end of the Saint Lawrence River in early North America – the territory south of Lake Nipissing and north of the St. ... Note: for information about Canadas present-day provinces, see Provinces of Canada. ... Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward the theory of evolution...

French-Canadian contributions were essential in securing responsible government for the Canadas and in undertaking Canadian Confederation. However, over the course of the late 19th and 20th centuries, French Canadians' discontent grew with their place in Canada. (See Québec, History of Canada and Politics of Canada.) Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form the Dominion of Canada, a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation state simply known as Canada. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... Canada is a nation of 32 million inhabitants, occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent, and being the second largest country in the world. ... Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm (see Monarchy in Canada) with a federal system of parliamentary government, and strong democratic traditions. ...

During the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, approximately 1 million French Canadians emigrated from the province of Quebec to settle in New England. The reason for this exodus was mostly economic, though also political.

Since 1968, French has been one of Canada's two official languages. It is the sole official language of Québec and one of the official languages of New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The dialects of French spoken in Canada are quite distinct from those of France. See Canadian French. 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope was restored) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Area 72,908 km² (8th)  - Land 71,450 km²  - Water 1,458 km² (2. ... A former territory in the United States is called Northwest Territory. ... For the electoral districts of the same name, see Nunavut (electoral district) and Nunavut (Senate Division). ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ... French is one of Canadas two official languages; the other is English and is the language of the majority (see Canadian English). ...

French-Canadian flags

Franco-Albertains	Quebec	Acadia
Franco-Manitobains	Franco-Ontarian	Franco-Terreneuviens
Franco-Yukonnais	Franco Tenois	Fransaskois

This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Le Fleurdelisé: Flag of Quebec, Canada For more information, see Government of Québec, National Flag and Emblems. ... Le Fleurdelisé: Flag of Quebec, Canada For more information, see Government of Québec, National Flag and Emblems. ... National flag of Acadia. ... National flag of Acadia. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Franco-Ontarian Flag: Ontario, Canada For more information, see Government of Ontario, Office of Francophone Affairs: Franco-Ontarian Flag. ... Franco-Ontarian Flag: Ontario, Canada For more information, see Government of Ontario, Office of Francophone Affairs: Franco-Ontarian Flag. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Cross-References

See also Acadian Acadians are the original French settlers of parts of the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. ...