From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire existed mainly in the Americas and Asia. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the second French colonial empire existed mainly in Africa and Asia. France had about 80 colonies throughout its history, the second most colonies in the world behind only the British Empire.Shillington, Kevin (2005). Encyclopedia of African history. New York: CRC Press, p. 878 Around 40 countries gained independence from France throughout its history, the second most in the world behind only the British Empire.David Armitage, The Declaration of Independence in World Context, Organization of American Historians, Magazine of History, Volume 18, Issue 3, Pp. 61–66 (2004) Over 50% of the world’s borders today were drawn as a result of British and French imperialism.Lovejoy, Paul E. (2012). Transformations of Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. London: Cambridge University Press.Martin Klein, "Slave Descent and Social Status in Sahara and Sudan", in Reconfiguring Slavery: West African Trajectories, ed. Benedetta Rossi (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2009), 29.
France began to establish colonies in North America, the Caribbean and India, following Spanish and Portuguese successes during the Age of Discovery, in rivalry with Britain. A series of wars with Britain during the 18th century and early 19th century, which France finally lost, almost ended its colonial ambitions in these regions, and without it what some historians term the "first" French colonial empire. In the 19th century, starting with the Occupation of Algeria in 1830, France began to establish a new empire in Africa and Southeast Asia. The following is a list of all countries that were part of the French colonial empires from to the present, either entirely or in part, either under French sovereignty or as mandate.
In the Americas
Present-day Canada New France (1534–1763) Present-day United States The Fort Saint Louis (Texas) (1685–1689) Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (1650–1733) Fort Caroline in French Florida (occupation by Huguenots) (1562–1565) Vincennes and Fort Ouiatenon in Indiana French Louisiana Louisiana (New France) (1672–1764, 1801–1803) Present-day Brazil France Équinoxiale (Bay of São Luis) (1610–1615) The island of Saint Alexis (1531) France Antarctique, to Fort Coligny (Rio de Janeiro Bay; intended as a haven for Huguenots) (1555–1567) Île Delphine's island (1736–1737) Present-day Haiti St. Domingue (1627–1804) Present-day Dominican Republic (1795–1809) Present-day Suriname Tapanahony (District of Sipaliwini) (Controversial Franco-Dutch in favour of the Netherlands) (25.8% of the current territory) (1814) Present-day Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Christopher Island (1628–1690, 1698–1702, 1706, 1782–1783) Nevis (1782–1784) Present-day Antigua and Barbuda Antigua (briefly in 1666) Present-day Trinidad and Tobago Tobago (1666–1667, 1781–1793, 1802–1803) Dominica (1625–1763, 1778–1783) Grenada (1650–1762, 1779–1783) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1719–1763, 1779–1783) Saint Lucia (1650–1723, 1756–1778, 1784–1803) Montserrat (1666, 1712) Falkland Islands (1504, 1701, 1764–1767) Îles des Saintes (1648–present) Marie-Galante (1635–present) La Désirade (1635–present) Guadeloupe (1635–present) Martinique (1635–present) French Guiana (1604–present) Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1604–1713, 1763–present) Collectivity of Saint Martin (1624–present) Saint Barthélemy (1648–1784, 1878–present) Clipperton Island (1858–present)
In Southern Europe Malta (1798–1800) Autonomous Province of Korçë (1916-1920)
In Africa
French North Africa Egypt (1798-1801) French Algeria (Territorial department directly integrated into France) (1830–1962) Protectorate of Tunisia (1881–1956) Protectorate in Morocco (1912–1956) in Libya (1943-1951)
French West Africa Liberia Liberia Boundary Treaty was signed French Guinea (1847–1958) Ivory Coast (1843–1960) Dahomey or French Dahomey (now Benin) (1883–1960) Independent of Dahomey, under French protectorate in 1889 Porto-Novo (protectorate) (1863–1865, 1882) Cotonou (protectorate) (1868) French Sudan (now Mali) (1883–1960) Senegambia and Niger (1902–1904) Mauritania (1902–1960) Adrar emirate (protectorate) (1909) The Tagant confederation's emirate (protectorate) (1905) Brakna confederation's emirate (protectorate) Emirate of Trarza (protectorate) (1902) Niger (1890–1960) Sultanate of Damagaram (Zinder) (protectorate) (1899) Senegal (1677–1960) French Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) (1896–1960) French Togoland (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, mandate became a French colony) (now Togo) Nigeria The Enclaves of Forcados and Badjibo (territory under a lease of 30 years) (1900–1927) The Emirate of Muri (Northeast of Nigeria) (1892–1893) Gambia Albreda (1681–1857) Kunta Kinteh Island (1695–1697, 1702)
French Equatorial Africa
Chad (1900–1960) Oubangui-Chari (currently Central African Republic) (1905–1960) Dar al Kuti (protectorate) (1897) (in 1912 its sultanate was suppressed by the French) Sultanate of Bangassou (protectorate) (1894) Present-day The Republic of Congo, then French Congo (1875–1960) Gabon (1839–1960) French Cameroon (91% of current Cameroon) (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, Mandate, Trust Territory) São Tomé and Príncipe (1709)
East Africa and Indian Ocean
Madagascar (1896–1960) Kingdom of Imerina (protectorate) (1896) Isle de France (1715–1810) (now Mauritius) Djibouti (French Somaliland) (the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas) (French Somalia) (1862–1977) Mayotte (1841–present) Seychelles (1756–1810) Chagos Archipelago (1721–1745, 1768–1814) The Scattered Islands (Banc du Geyser, Bassas da India, Europa Island, Juan de Nova Island, Glorioso Islands, Tromelin Island) Comoros (1866–1975) Réunion (1710–present)
In Asia
French Indochina French Indochinese Union (1887–1954) Cambodia (protectorate) (1863–1953) Laos (protectorate) (1893–1953) Vietnam Cochinchina (Southern Vietnam) (1862–1949) Annam (protectorate) (Central Vietnam) (1883–1945) Tonkin (protectorate) (Northern Vietnam) (1884–1945) including Guangzhou wan State of Vietnam (1949–1954) Spratly Islands (1933–1939) Paracel Islands (1933–1939) Some territories in the eastern part of Thailand (independent state, but after Franco-Siamese conflict of 1893, Thailand has lost 3 provinces during the next 15 years) Chanthaburi Province (1893-1904) Trat Province (1904-1907) Dan Sai District (in the area of the Loei Province: 1903-1907) India French Establishments of India, composed of Pondichéry (1765–1954); Karikal (1725–1954); Mahé (1721–1954) Yanaon (1723–1954); Chandannagar (1673–1952) China The territory of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan, a dependency of French Indochina (1898–1945) Syria or French Syria (1920–1946) (French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon)
In Oceania
French Polynesia Society Islands (became a French protectorate in 1843 and a colony in 1880) Otaheiti, known as Tahiti (protectorate) (1842–1880) Raiatea and Tahaa (protectorate) (1880) Tuamotu Archipelago Marquesas Islands (under French control in 1870, and later incorporated into the territory of French Polynesia) Gambier Islands Mangareva (protectorate) (1844/1871) Austral Islands Rurutu (Austral Islands) (protectorate) (1858–1889) Papua New Guinea New Ireland (1880–1882) (attempt at colonization, unofficial) New Caledonia (1853–present) The New Hebrides (Vanuatu) Anglo-French condominium (1906–1980) Australia Dirk Hartog Island (1772) (made an unofficial annexation for all Australia)Philippe Godard, Tugdual de Kerros 2002, "Louis de Saint Aloüarn, un marin breton à la conquête des terres australes", Les Portes du large, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, 331-336 Wallis and Futuna (1887–present)
In Antarctica
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) Crozet Islands (24 January 1772– present) Kerguelen Islands (13 February 1772– present) Île Amsterdam (in 1843 but abandoned) (1892–present) Île Saint-Paul (in 1843 but abandoned) (1892–present) Adélie Land (1840–present) (sheltering one of two French Bases in Antarctica, the other one being Franco-Italian) (that borders with the Australian Antarctic Territory on both sides and divides that in two)
See also First French Empire Second French Empire CFA franc Franco-Trarzan War of 1825 French Africa French colonial flags French Colonial Union French colonization of the Americas Kouang-Tchéou-Wan – a small French territory in China List of French client states Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Overseas France Timeline of the European colonization of North America Troupes coloniales – French colonial forces
Notes and references
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