Britannica AI Icon

French Canadian

people
Also known as: Canado-Americaine

Quick Summary

French Canadians are descendants of French settlers who colonized areas like the St. Lawrence River valley in North America starting in the 17th century. While France ceded much of its territory to Britain in 1763, the French-speaking population, primarily Roman Catholic, maintained their language and culture. Today, the majority of French Canadians reside in Quebec, with significant communities also present in New Brunswick and Ontario. The term "French Canadian" can refer to all French-speaking Canadians, though it is increasingly used to describe Francophone minorities outside of Quebec.1234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.