French people
The French people () are an ethnic group primarily located in Western Europe and nation that shares a common French culture, history, the French language and is identified with the country of France.

The French people, especially the native speakers of langues d'oïl from northern and central France, are primarily the descendants of Gauls (including the Belgae) and Romans (or Gallo-Romans, western European Celtic and Italic peoples), as well as Germanic peoples such as the Franks, the Visigoths, the Suebi and the Burgundians who settled in Gaul from east of the Rhine after the fall of the Roman Empire, as well as various later waves of lower-level irregular migration that have continued to the present day. The Norse also settled in Normandy in the 10th century and contributed ancestry to the Normans. Furthermore, regional ethnic minorities also exist within France that have distinct lineages, languages and cultures such as Bretons in Brittany, Occitans in Occitania, Basques in the French Basque Country, Catalans in northern Catalonia, Germans in Alsace and Flemings in French Flanders.

France has long been a patchwork of local customs and regional differences, and while most French people still speak the French language as their mother tongue, languages like Norman, Picard, Poitevin-Saintongeais, Franco-Provencal, Occitan, Catalan, Auvergnat, Corsican, Basque, French Flemish, Lorraine Franconian, Alsatian, and Breton remain spoken in their respective regions. Arabic is also widely spoken, arguably the largest minority language in France as of the 21st century (a spot previously held by Breton and Occitan).

Modern French society is a melting pot. From the middle of the 19th century, it experienced a high rate of inward migration, mainly consisting of Arab-Berbers, Jews, Sub-Saharan Africans, Chinese, and other peoples from Africa, the Middle East and East Asia, and the government, defining France as an inclusive nation with universal values, advocated assimilation through which immigrants were expected to adhere to French values and cultural norms. Nowadays, while the government has let newcomers retain their distinctive cultures since the mid-1980s and requires from them a mere integration, French citizens still equate their nationality with citizenship as does French law.

In addition to mainland France, French people and people of French descent can be found internationally, in overseas departments and territories of France such as the French West Indies ("French Caribbean"), and in foreign countries with significant French-speaking population groups or not, such as Switzerland ("French Swiss"), the United States ("French Americans"), Canada ("French Canadians"), Argentina ("French Argentines"), Brazil ("French Brazilians"), Mexico ("French Mexicans"), Chile ("French Chileans") and Uruguay ("French Uruguayans").
Q41710
ethnic group
Concept
Q27496
Western Europe
LOC
Q6266
nation
Concept
Q1985804
French culture
TIME
Q309
history
Concept
Q150
French language
Concept
Q142
France
LOC
Q37351
langues d'oïl
Concept
Q273854
Gauls
PER
Q337104
Belgae
PER
Q1651392
Romans
Concept
Q1364601
Gallo-Romans
Concept
Q35966
Celtic
Concept
Q3617880
Italic peoples
Concept
Q22633
Germanic peoples
MEDIA
Q43482
Franks
MEDIA
Q23693
Visigoths
Concept
Q155085
Suebi
PER
Q150412
Burgundians
MEDIA
Q38060
Gaul
LOC
Q2277
Roman Empire
LOC
Q1211290
Norse
PER
Q15878
Normandy
LOC
Q83418
Normans
MEDIA
Q309197
Bretons
MEDIA
Q327
Brittany
LOC
Q3573554
Occitans
ORG
Q104285
Occitania
MEDIA
Q126756
Basques
MEDIA
Q98405
French Basque Country
LOC
Q244504
Catalans
MEDIA
Q15580
northern Catalonia
LOC
Q42884
Germans
ORG
Q1142
Alsace
LOC
Q242485
Flemings
Concept
Q36769
French Flanders
MEDIA
Q150
French language
Concept
Q36870
mother tongue
Concept
Q33850
Norman
Concept
Q34024
Picard
MEDIA
Q514123
Poitevin-Saintongeais
MEDIA
Q15087
Franco-Provencal
Concept
Q14185
Occitan
Concept
Q7026
Catalan
Concept
Q35359
Auvergnat
Concept
Q33111
Corsican
Concept
Q8752
Basque
Concept
Q1450500
French Flemish
MEDIA
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Lorraine Franconian
MEDIA
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Alsatian
Concept
Q12107
Breton
Concept
Q1422423
Arabic
Concept
Q12107
Breton
Concept
Q14185
Occitan
Concept
Q862085
melting pot
Concept
Q3149092
inward migration
PER
Q4783129
Arab-Berber
ORG
Q7325
Jews
Concept
Q132959
Sub-Saharan
LOC
Q3037005
Africans
PER
Q6501380
Chinese
MEDIA
Q15
Africa
LOC
Q7204
Middle East
LOC
Q27231
East Asia
LOC
Q193579
assimilation
Concept
Q370735
integration
Concept
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nationality
Concept
Q42138
citizenship
Concept
Q203396
overseas departments and territories of France
LOC
Q21022
French West Indies
LOC
Q39
Switzerland
LOC
Q124216
French Swiss
Concept
Q30
United States
LOC
Q1369944
French American
Concept
Q16
Canada
LOC
Q857880
French Canadian
Concept
Q414
Argentina
LOC
Q5358467
French Argentine
UNK
Q155
Brazil
LOC
Q3751098
French Brazilian
UNK
Q96
Mexico
LOC
Q5502256
French Mexicans
UNK
Q298
Chile
LOC
Q5501711
French Chilean
UNK
Q77
Uruguay
LOC
Q5501949
French Uruguayan
UNK
Q121842
French people
Concept
Q121842
French people
Concept
Q121842
French people
Concept
Q121842
French people
Concept
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