Who are the people living in France today?
French is the official language and is spoken by everyone living in France. However, France also recognises several regional languages including three (Basque, Breton and Alsatian) which are completely unrelated. As you travel in France you may also encounter Flemish, Catalan, Provencal and Corsican. Most young people living in France speak some English but outside the tourist resorts and big cities, it is necessary to gain at least a smattering of French. About 85% of the people living in France claim to be Roman Catholic (an influence which is clearly reflected in popular French culture ie festivals but not in everyday French life) but less than 15% are thought to attend religious services on a regular basis. Islam is the second largest religion (about 7% of the population) in France.
