The concept of being a bilingual country can be viewed in various different ways. For example, one could consider that bilingualism means that most people in the country speak both languages fluently. Although some countries can meet that threshold, this is not the kind of bilingualism that exists in Canada. Instead, Canadian bilingualism means that there are a large number of people who speak one language, and a large number of people who speak another. In Québec alone, there are almost 8 million French-speakers. The concept of being a bilingual country can also be based on the language-related rules and programs that are in place. This kind of bilingualism also exists in Canada. It is a bilingualism that results from our constitutional and governmental commitments to the equality of the English and French languages in the public sphere. As a result, Canada has two official languages and legal protections for minority official language rights (the French language minority outside of Québec, and the English language minority inside Québec). This is why all products must be labeled in both French and English and why some of our laws and services are available in both languages. Last Reviewed: May 2011