12. France

According to the Census Bureau, there are nearly 65 million people living in France. Of those, the International Telecommunication Union says that 68.9 percent—or 44.6 million—are online, making this country the ninth-largest Internet market in the world and the third-largest in Europe, behind Germany and the United Kingdom. France’s online community has exploded in the past 11 years, having jumped from just about 8.5 million people in 2000.

French isn’t spoken only in France. French is spoken in other countries in Europe, such as Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. We estimate that just over 70 million people speak French as their first language in Europe, and close to 200 million speak French worldwide, making for a sizeable market opportunity. French is spoken and influences of French culture can be found in former French colonies such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, as well as in large parts of western Africa. In total, there are 29 countries in which French is an official language, including Canada (see Chapter 15, “Canada”).