France will close its embassies and schools in around 20 countries on Friday because of fears of a hostile reaction to a magazine's publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

France said it would temporarily close its embassies and schools in 20 countries on Friday after a French magazine published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, a move it fears will further inflame tensions over a film mocking the prophet.

The magazine is the same one that was firebombed last year over a similar provocation, though now of course the cartoon is coming amid a widespread protest in Muslim countries aimed at Western Embassies.

"We have indeed decided as a precautionary measure to close our premises, embassies, consulates, cultural centers and schools," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said of the shut-down on Friday, prayer day across the Muslim world.