Acadian French is one of the major varieties of French spoken in Canada. It is associated with the francophone Acadian population and is spoken mainly in all four Atlantic provinces as well as in some parts of Quebec Compared to other forms of French spoken in Canada, many varieties of Acadian French are considered quite traditional in their form and structure. One reason for this is because Acadia was cut off from France in the early 18th century. Even during the French colonial period, contact with people from France, including colonial administrators, was limited. As a result, Acadian French has characteristics that were typical of the French spoken in the 16th and 17th centuries, but that have disappeared from the French spoken by other communities across North America, France and beyond.