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Home , French Colonial Union, French Dahomey, French Florida, French North Africa, Greater Lebanon, Sigave

List of French possessions and colonies

From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10,000,000 km2 (3,900,000 sq mi), the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the . During the 19th and 20th centuries, the was the second largest colonial empire in the world only behind the British Empire; it extended over 13,500,000 km2 (5,200,000 sq mi) of land at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. In terms of population however, on the eve of World War II, and her colonial possessions totaled only 150 million inhabitants, compared with 330 million for British India alone.

France began to establish colonies in North America, the Caribbean and India, following Spanish and Portuguese successes during the , 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 conquest of 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 in the last 500 years, either entirely or in part, either under French sovereignty or as mandate.

Contents In the Americas In Africa East Africa and Indian Ocean In Asia In Oceania In Antarctica See also Notes and references External links

In the Americas

Present-day Dominican Republic (1795–1809) (1534–1763), and nearby lands: (1604–1713) Hudson Bay Saint Lawrence River Great Lakes Lake Winnipeg Quebec Present-day The Fort Saint Louis (Texas) (1685–1689) , U.S. Virgin Islands (1650–1733) in French (occupation by ) (1562–1565) Vincennes and Fort Ouiatenan in Indiana Map of the northern part and upper southern parts of the Americas, French (22.3% of the current territory) (1764– showing the results of the 1804) (sold by Napoleon I) (also see: Louisiana (New expeditions of Father Marquette and )) Louis Jolliet (1673) and of Cavelier Lower Louisiana de la Salle in the Mississippi valley Upper Louisiana (1681). Louisiana (New France) (1672–1764)

Present-day Brazil France Équinoxiale (Bay of São Luis) (1610–1615) The island of Saint Alexis (1531) The Territory of Amapá (1897) (disputed Franco- Brazilian territory resolved in favour of Brazil)[1] The city of Viçosa-Ceará (Territory of Ibiapaba) (1590– 1604) , to Fort Coligny ( Rio de Janeiro Bay; intended as a haven for Huguenots) (1555–1567) Map of New France Île Delphine's island (1736–1737) Haiti (1627–1804) Present-day Suriname Tapanahony (District of Sipaliwini) (Controversial Franco-Dutch in favour of the Netherlands) (25.8% of the current territory) (1814) Îles des Saintes (1648–present) Marie-Galante (1635–present) la Désirade (1635–present) This map shows the Louisiana (1635–present) Purchase area, which corresponds approximately with colonial French (1635–present) Louisiana. (1604–present) Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1604–1713, 1763–present) Collectivity of Saint Martin (1624–present) Saint Barthélemy (1648–1784, 1878–present) (1625–1763, 1778–1783) Nevis (1782–1784) (1650–1762, 1779–1783) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1719–1763, 1779– 1783) Saint Christopher Island (1628–1690, 1698–1702, 1706, 1782–1783) Antigua (briefly in 1666) (1650–1723, 1756–1778, 1784–1803) Present-day Guyana (1782–1784) Tobago (1666–1667, 1781–1793, 1802–1803)

In Africa Taking up of the Louisiana by La Salle in the name of the Kingdom of France French North Africa

French Morocco (1912–1956) () (89% of the current territory) (now Morocco) French (1830–1962) French Tunisia (1881–1956) (protectorate) (Tunisia)

French West Africa

Ivory Coast (1843–1960) or (now ) (1883–1960) Independent of Dahomey, under French protectorate in 1889 Porto-Novo (protectorate) (1863–1865, 1882) (protectorate) (1868) Map of French colonies in Africa (in green) (now Mali) (1883–1960) (1902–1904) Guinea or (1891–1958) Mauritania (1902–1960) Adrar emirate (protectorate) (1909) The Taganit 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) (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, mandate became a French colony) (now Togo) 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 (1875–1960) Gabon (1839–1960) (91% of current Cameroon) (1918–1960) (formerly a German colony, Mandate, Protectorate then French Colony) São Tomé and Príncipe (1709)

East Africa and Indian Ocean

Madagascar (1896–1960) Kingdom of Imerina (protectorate) (1896) Isle de France (1715–1810) (now ) Djibouti () (the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas) (French Somalia) (1862–1977) (1841–present) Seychelles (1756–1810) Chagos Archipelago (1721–1745, 1768–1814) The Scattered Islands (, , , , , ) (1866–1975) Réunion (1710–present)

In Asia

French Indochina French Indochinese Union (1887–1954) (protectorate) (1893–1953) Cambodia (protectorate) (1863–1953) Vietnam Cochinchina (Southern Vietnam) (1858–1949) Annam (protectorate) (Central Vietnam) (1883–1949) Tonkin (protectorate) (Northern Vietnam) (1884–1949) State of Vietnam (1949–1954) Spratly Islands (1933–1939) Paracel Islands (1933–1939) India and Sri Lanka French Establishments of India, composed of Pondichéry (1765–1954); Karikal (1725– 1954); Mahé (1721–1954) (1723–1954); Chandernagor (1673–1952) Taiwan The city/port of Keelung (1884–1885) Pescadores Islands (1885) Basilan (1845) China The territory of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan, a dependency of ) (1898–1945) The foreign concessions : French Concession of Shanghai (1849–1946), Tianjin (1860– 1946) and Hankou (1898–1946) The Spheres of French influence officially recognized by China on the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Guangdong Shamian Island (1859–1949) (a fifth of the island) Palestine or French Syria (1920–1946) (French Mandate of Syria) (1920–1936) (1920–1924) State of Jabal (1921–1936) (1920–1924) Sanjak of Alexandretta (now part of Turkey) State of Greater (now it is Lebanon) (1920–1946) Lebanon or French Lebanon (1920–1946) (French Mandate of Lebanon) (An international protocol fixes the autonomy of the mount Lebanon under the protection of France)[2] Yemen Cheikh Saïd (Some French atlases and history books claimed the territory was French, but France never occupied it and never claimed jurisdiction or sovereignty over the territory, which therefore was never French, remaining under Turkish, then Yemeni control.[3])

In Oceania

Clipperton Island (1858–present) 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)[4] Papua New Guinea (1880–1882) (attempt at colonization, unofficial) Chesterfield Islands Matthew and Hunter Islands Loyalty Islands Île des Pins Hawaiian Islands (1837) (at the beginning of French presence there; however, the United States persuaded the local Queen to negotiate with them instead, by means of the strength of a company of U.S. Marines) The (Vanuatu) French protectorate (1887–1906) Anglo-French condominium (1906–1980) Australia Dirk Hartog Island (1772) (made an unofficial annexation for all Australia)[5][6][7] and Futuna (1887–present) Kingdom of () (declared to be a protectorate by King of Uvea and Captain Mallet in 1842. Officially in a treaty becomes a French protectorate in 1887 until annexed in 1917) Kingdom of Sigave (signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate in 1888 until annexed in 1917) Kingdom of (Wallis and Futuna) (signed a treaty establishing a French protectorate in 1888 until annexed in 1917)

In Antarctica

French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) (24 January 1772[8]– present) (13 February 1772[9]– 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 Overseas departments and territories of France CFA franc Franco-Trarzan War of 1825 French colonial forces French colonisation of the Americas Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Kouang-Tchéou-Wan, a small French territory in China French colonial flags

Notes and references Territory claim by France in Antarctic 1. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/2011072020 (Adélie Land) 3357/http://webtice.ac-guyane.fr/histgeo/IMG/pdf/le_contest e_franco-bresilien-4.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://webtice.ac-guyane.fr/histgeo/IMG/pdf/le_conteste_fr anco-bresilien-4.pdf) (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-02-12. 2. "BnF - Voyage en Orient" (http://expositions.bnf.fr/veo/reper es/index.htm). expositions.bnf.fr. Retrieved 23 September 2017. 3. Cheikh Saïd - The territory of Cheikh Saïd was acquired in 1868 by a French company. It is for that reason that it was formerly shown with the French colours on certain atlases. In fact, Cheikh Saïd has been occupied by the Turks since 1870, and by the Yemenis since the First World War., Dictionnaire encyclopédique Quillet, (1985 ed.). 4. "Drapeau de Rurutu - Tahiti Heritage" (http://www.tahitiherit age.pf/fiche-drapeau-de-rurutu-24163.htm). www.tahitiheritage.pf. Retrieved 23 September 2017. 5. "Consulter le sujet - L'Australie serait-elle française ?!... • [Forums" (http://www.francedownunder.com/forum/viewtopi c.php?f=17&t=134). Francedownunder.com. Retrieved 2011-03-26. 6. Godard, Philippe; Kerros, Tugdual de; Margot, Odette; Stanbury, Myra; Baxter, Sue; Western Australian Museum; Godard, Phillippe; De Kerros, Tugdual; Margot, Odette; Stanbury, Myra; Baxter, Sue (2008), 1772 : the French annexation of New Holland : the tale of Louis de Saint Aloürn, Western Australian Museum, ISBN 978-1-920843- 98-4 7. 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 8. "TAAF" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120120224633/htt p://www.taaf.fr/spip/spip.php?article108). Taaf.fr. Archived from the original (http://www.taaf.fr/spip/spip.php?article10 8) on 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-01-10. 9. "Kerguelen – yves trémarec – james cook – asia – hillsborough – rhodes" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131 002171809/http://www.kerguelen-voyages.com/c/95/p/b0ef 218cd2b18874c9a7d4b61925146f/Kerguelen-yves-tremar ec-james-cook-asia-hillsborough-rhodes.html). Kerguelen- voyages.com. Archived from the original (http://www.kergu elen-voyages.com/c/95/p/b0ef218cd2b18874c9a7d4b6192 5146f/Kerguelen-yves-tremarec-james-cook-asia-hillsboro ugh-rhodes.html) on 2013-10-02.

External links

Worldstatesmen.org: COLONIES (English) (http://www.worldstatesmen.org/COLONIES.html) NIEDCOLONI (French) (https://web.archive.org/web/20110526085333/http://www.stratisc.org/p ub_mo2_NIEDCOLONI.html) Francedownunder.com: French Forum (http://www.francedownunder.com/forum/viewtopic.php? f=17&t=134) Maranhao.fr: (French) (https://web.archive.org/web/20120320082134/http://www.maranhao.fr/in dex_0.php) Herodote.net (French) (http://www.herodote.net/histoire/evenement.php?jour=15551110) Mappemonde (French) (http://www.mgm.fr/PUB/Mappemonde/M488/m2_8.pdf) France-Antarctique history (French) (https://web.archive.org/web/20110706154626/http://www.t opdobrasil.com.br/histoire/france-antarctique/france-antarctique.php) France-Antarctique (French) (http://www.grandquebec.com/quebec-et-monde/france-antarctiqu e/) http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k109516t (French) http://fan2figs.blog4ever.com/blog/lire-article-226522-1184741- le_reve_de_la_france_antarctique.html (French)

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This page was last edited on 3 January 2021, at 09:25 (UTC).

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