French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Côte d’Ivoire, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger.
What region of Africa does France dominate?
By the early years of the twentieth century the French held most of what would come to be their colonial territory in West Africa (including present day Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Niger).
What did France do in Africa?
As the French pursued their part in the scramble for Africa in the 1880s and 1890s, they conquered large inland areas, and at first, ruled them as either a part of the Senegal colony or as independent entities. These conquered areas were usually governed by French Army officers, and dubbed “military territories”.
How much of Africa did France control?
Gradually, French control crystallised over much of North, West, and Central Africa by around the start of the 20th century (including the modern states of Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, the east African coastal …
Was Africa colonized by the French?
The French presence in Africa dates to the 17th century, but the main period of colonial expansion came in the 19th century with the invasion of Ottoman Algiers in 1830, conquests in West and Equatorial Africa during the so-called scramble for Africa and the establishment of protectorates in Tunisia and Morocco in the …
Why did France want Africa?
The main goal of colonizing West Africa was that they wanted to turn West African countries into a “French-state”. This means changing their way of living, making the official language French, making them convert into a new religion like Christianity. The French colonization changed the African culture.
What part of Africa did Britain colonize?
Great Britain got southern and northeastern Africa from Berlin. From 1880-1900 Britain gained control over or occupied what are now known as Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Gambia, Sierra Leone, northwestern Somalia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi.
Which African country is still Colonised?
Western Sahara is still colonized because it is rich in natural resources that became a sort of curse to the Saharawi people, and free stolen goods to those countries and governments exploiting it in complicity with Morocco. And the list of the guilty plunderers of this African country is huge.
What is the relationship between France and Africa?
It is the second largest European exporter to the continent after Germany. According to ‘France Diplomatie’ over a third of French exporters export to Africa. Bilateral trade between France and the Ivory Coast remains strong and is an important feature of the larger relationships between the two countries.
How many countries in Africa are French?
French in Africa: 29 Countries Where French is Spoken. French is the official language of 21 countries in Africa.
Why did France start colonizing?
Motivations for colonization: The French colonized North America to create trading posts for the fur trade. Some French missionaries eventually made their way to North America in order to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. … The French in particular created alliances with the Hurons and Algonquians.
Are there still French colonies?
A full 72 countries were part of France at one time or another. … But like other European colonial powers, the French empire never disappeared entirely. Today, you can find the vestiges of the French Empire in islands and territories located around the world.
Why did the French empire fall?
Collapse of the empire
The French colonial empire began to fall apart during the Second World War, when various parts of their empire were occupied by foreign powers (Japan in Indochina, Britain in Syria and Lebanon, the US and Britain in Morocco and Algeria, Germany in Tunisia).
How many countries did the French colonize?
During the Colonial period in Africa, the British and the French colonized more than 95% of the continent. The British colonized twenty-two African states while the French colonized twenty.
When did France leave Africa?
Until its independence, French Algeria had been part of metropolitan France (i.e., not an overseas territory) since before World War I. French North Africa ended soon after the Évian Accords of March 1962, which led to the Algerian independence referendum of July 1962.
Why did France colonize Chad?
European interest in Africa generally grew during the 19th century. By 1887, France, motivated by the search for wealth, had driven inland from its settlements on central Africa’s west coast to claim the territory of Oubangui-Chari (present-day Central African Republic).