Map of the first (light blue) and second (dark blue — plain and hachured) French colonial empires

France has had colonial possessions, in various forms, since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its global colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British Empire. At its peak, between 1919 and 1939, the second French colonial empire extended over 12,347,000 km² (4,767,000 sq. miles) of land. Including metropolitan France, the total area of land under French sovereignty reached 12,898,000 km² (4,980,000 sq. miles) in the 1920s and 1930s, which is 8.6% of the world's land area. Download high resolution version (1357x628, 23 KB){{GFDL} File links The following pages link to this file: French colonial empires ... Download high resolution version (1357x628, 23 KB){{GFDL} File links The following pages link to this file: French colonial empires ... In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a geographically-distant state. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... A global empire involves the extension of a states sovereignty over territories all around the world. ... The British Empire was, at one time, the foremost global power, and the most extensive empire in the history of the world. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Metropolitan France (French: la France métropolitaine, or just la Métropole) refers to the part of France in Europe, including Corsica, as opposed to the overseas departments and overseas territories, which, while integral parts of the French Republic, are regarded as Overseas France (la France doutre-mer, or... ... To help compare sizes of different areas, here is a list of areas between 10 million km² and 100 million km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

Currently, the remnants of this large empire are hundreds of islands and archipelagos located in the North Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, the North Pacific, and the Antarctic Ocean, as well as one mainland territory in South America, totaling altogether 123,150 km² (47,548 sq. miles), which amounts to only 1% of the pre-1939 French colonial empire's area, with 2,543,000 people living in them in 2006, (see Administrative divisions of France). All of these enjoy full political representation at the national level, as well as varying degrees of legislative autonomy. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of pacific, see pacific (disambiguation). ... The Southern Ocean is the body of water encircling the continent of Antarctica. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 km² and 1,000,000 km². ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Metropolitan (i. ... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ...

Most of the empire was controlled by the French Colonial Forces. The French Colonial Forces were the military forces that controlled much of the French colonial empire during the late 17th century and the early 1950s. ...

The first French colonial empire

The early voyages of Giovanni da Verrazano and Jacques Cartier in the early 16th century, as well as the frequent voyages of French fishermen to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland throughout that century, were the precursors to the story of France's colonial expansion. But Spain's jealous protection of its American monopoly, and the disruptions caused in France itself by the Wars of Religion in the later 16th century, prevented any consistent efforts by France to establish colonies. Early French attempts to found colonies in Brazil, in 1555 at Rio de Janeiro (the so-called France Antarctique) and in 1612 at São Luís (the so-called France Équinoxiale), and in Florida were unsuccessful, due to Portuguese and Spanish vigilance and prevention. Giovanni da Verrazzano (c. ... Portrait of Jacques Cartier by Théophile Hamel, ca. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Map showing the Grand Banks and ground fish zones in eastern Canada from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. ... Map of Newfoundland Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... The French Wars of Religion were a series of conflicts fought between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants) from the middle of the sixteenth century to the Edict of Nantes in 1598, including civil infighting as well as military operations. ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Sweden by attacking Finland February 2 - Diet of Augsburg begins February 4 - John Rogers becomes first Protestant martyr in England February 9 - Bishop of Gloucester John Hooper is burned at the stake May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ... Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, immortalised by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese), pron. ... France Antarctique was the name of the failed French colony south of the Equator, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which existed between 1555 and 1567. ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... São Luís is the capital of the state of Maranhão, Brazil. ... Equinoxial France was the contemporary name given to the colonization efforts of France in the 17th century in South America, around the line of Equator, before tropical had fully gained its modern meaning: Equinoctial means in Latin of equal nights, i. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ...

The story of France's colonial empire truly began on July 27, 1605, with the foundation of Port Royal in the colony of Acadia in North America, in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. A few years later, in 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec, which was to become the capital of the enormous, but sparsely settled, fur-trading colony of New France (also called Canada). July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... Events April 13 - Tsar Boris Godunow dies - Feodor II accedes to the throne May 16 - Paul V becomes Pope June 1 - Russian troops in Moscow imprison Feodor II and his mother. ... Port Royal is a small rural community in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. ... The national flag of Acadia, adopted in 1884. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages English Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman Premier John Hamm Premier-designate Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 12th 55... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... Samuel de Champlain by Théophile Hamel (1870) Samuel de Champlain(c. ... Motto: « Don de Dieu feray valoir Â» (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Quebec Official logo Provincial region Province Country Capitale-Nationale Quebec Canada Gentilé Québécois, Québécoise Mayor Mandate Andrée P. Boucher 2005-2009 federal Members of Parliament... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ...

Although, through alliances with various Native American tribes, the French were able to exert a loose control over much of the North American continent, areas of French settlement were generally limited to the St. Lawrence River Valley. Prior to the establishment of the 1663 Sovereign Council, the territories of New France were developed as mercantile colonies. It is only after the arrival of intendant Jean Talon that France gave its American colonies the proper means to develop population colonies comparable to that of the British. But there was relatively little interest in colonialism in France, which concentrated rather on dominance within Europe, and for most of the history of New France, even Canada was far behind the British North American colonies in both population and economic development. Acadia itself was lost to the British in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Native Americans in the United States (also known as Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States and their descendants in... The Saint Lawrence River (French fleuve Saint-Laurent) is a large west-to-east flowing river in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... // Events Prix de Rome scholarship established for students of the arts. ... Jean Talon, comte dOrsainville (1625 baptised 8 January 1626 – November 1694) was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France. ... By 1763, British North America included 19 British colonies and territories on the continent of North America. ... The Treaties of Utrecht (April 11, 1713) were signed in Utrecht, a city of the United Provinces. ... // Events April 11 - War of the Spanish Succession: Treaty of Utrecht June 23 - French residents of Acadia given one year to declare allegiance to Britain or leave Nova Scotia Canada first Orrery built by George Graham Ongoing events Great Northern War (1700-1721) War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713...

In 1699, French territorial claims in North America expanded still further, with the foundation of Louisiana in the basin of the Mississippi River. The extensive trading network throughout the region connected to Canada through the Great Lakes, and was maintained through a vast system of fortifications, many of them centered in the Illinois Country and in present-day Arkansas. Events January 26 - Treaty of Karlowitz signed March 30 - the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. ... Louisiana sold in 1803 by Napoléon to USA, which was a portion of the historical extent of French Louisiana Louisiana (French language: La Louisiane) was the name of an administrative district of New France in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... French settlements and forts in the Illinois Country in 1763, showing U.S. current state boundaries. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 29th 137 732 km² 385 km 420 km 2. ...

As the French empire in North America expanded, the French also began to build a smaller but more profitable empire in the West Indies. Settlement along the South American coast in what is today French Guiana began in 1624, and a colony was founded on Saint Kitts in 1627 (the island had to be shared with the English until the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, when it was ceded outright). The Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique founded colonies in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1635, and a colony was later founded on Saint Lucia by (1650). The food-producing plantations of these colonies were built and sustained through slavery, with the supply of slaves dependent on the African slave trade. Local resistance by the indigenous native American "Indian" peoples resulted in the Carib Expulsion of 1660. The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... Saint Kitts (also/previously known as Saint Christopher) is an island in the Caribbean. ... Events A Dutch ship makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. ... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... // Events June 23 - Claimant King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland arrives in Scotland, the only of the three Kingdoms that has accepted him as ruler. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Slave transport in Africa, from a 19th century engraving The African slavery trade dates back thousands of years and reportedly continues today in some isolated parts of Africa. ... The word indigenous is an adjective derived from the Latin word indigena, meaning native, belonging to, aboriginal; and has several applications: Indigenous peoples, communities and cultures native or indigenous to a territory; Indigenous (band), a Native American blues-rock band; In biology, indigenous means native to a place or biota... The Carib Expulsion took place in 1660. ...

The most important Caribbean colonial possession did not come until 1664, when the colony of Saint-Domingue (today's Haiti) was founded on the western half of the Spanish island of Hispaniola. In the 18th century, Saint-Domingue grew to be the richest sugar colony in the Caribbean. The eastern half of Hispaniola (today's Dominican Republic) also came under French rule for a short period, after being given to France by Spain in 1795. Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ... Saint-Domingue was a French colony from 1697 to 1804 that is today the independent nation of Haiti. ... Early map of Hispaniola The Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Magnified view of refined sugar crystals. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

French colonial expansion was not limited to the New World, however. In Senegal in West Africa, the French began to establish trading posts along the coast in 1624. In 1664, the French East India Company was established to compete for trade in the east. Colonies were established in India in Chandernagore in Bengal (1673) and Pondicherry in the Southeast (1674), and later at Yanam (1723), Mahe (1725), and Karikal (1739) (see French India). Colonies were also founded in the Indian Ocean, on the Île de Bourbon (Réunion, 1664), Île de France (Mauritius, 1718), and the Seychelles (1756). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ... The French East India Company (French Compagnie des Indes Orientales) was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies. ... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ... Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar, is a city in India. ... Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla, is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... Events January 22 - Impostor Mary Carleton is hanged in Newgate prison in England for multiple thefts and returning from penal transportation March 18 - John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to the Quakers. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Events February 19 - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster. ... Yanam or Yanaon is a district of the Union territory of Pondicherry and a town in that district. ... Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... Categories: India geography stubs | Pondicherry ... Events February 8 - Catherine I became empress of Russia February 20 - The first reported case of white men scalping Native Americans takes place in New Hampshire colony. ... Categories: India geography stubs | Pondicherry | Cities and towns in India ... Events January 1 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. ... French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India. ... Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ... // Events July 21 - Treaty of Passarowitz signed November 22 - Off the coast of Virginia, English pirate Edward Teach (best known as Blackbeard) is killed in battle when a British boarding party cornered and then shot and stabbed him more than 25 times. ... 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Colonial conflict with Great Britain, 1744–1815

In the mid-18th century, a series of colonial conflicts began between France and the Kingdom of Great Britain, which would ultimately result in the demise of most of the first French colonial empire. These wars were the War of the Austrian Succession (1744–1748), the Seven Years War (1756–1763), the War of the American Revolution (1778–1783), and the French Revolution (1793–1802) and Napoleonic (1803-1815) Wars. // Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia The First Saudi State founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud Prague occupied by Prussian armies Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births January 10 - Thomas Mifflin, fifth President... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)1 Capital London Head of State King of Great Britain Head of Government Prime Minister Parliament House of Commons, House of Lords This article is about the historical state called the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1800). ... The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748). ... // Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia The First Saudi State founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud Prague occupied by Prussian armies Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births January 10 - Thomas Mifflin, fifth President... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... This article is about the 1756–1763 war. ... 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the modern United States of America. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolutionary Wars occurred between the outbreak of war between the French Revolutionary government and Austria in 1792 and the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... --69. ... Combatants Allies: • United Kingdom, • Prussia, • Austria, • Russia France Commanders Strength Casualties Full list Full list The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars fought during Napoleon Bonapartes rule over France. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Although the War of the Austrian Succession was indecisive — despite French successes in India under the French Governor-General Joseph François Dupleix — the Seven Years War, after early French successes in Minorca and North America, saw a French defeat, with the numerically superior British (over one million to about 50 thousand French settlers) conquering not only New France (excluding the small islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), but also most of France's West Indian (Caribbean) colonies, and all of the French Indian outposts. While the peace treaty saw France's Indian outposts, and the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe restored to France, the competition for influence in India had been won by the British, and North America was entirely lost — most of New France was taken by Britain (also refer to as British North America, except Louisiana, which France ceded to Spain as payment for Spain's late entrance into the war (and as compensation for Britain's annexation of Spanish Florida). Also ceded to the British were Grenada and Saint Lucia in the West Indies. Although the loss of Canada would cause much regret in future generations, it excited little unhappiness at the time; colonialism was widely regarded as both unimportant to France, and immoral. Joseph François Dupleix Joseph François Dupleix (January 1, 1697 — November 10, 1763) was governor general of the French establishment in India, and was the great rival of Robert Clive. ... Flag of Minorca Minorca (Menorca both in Catalan and Spanish and increasingly in English usage; from Latin Balearis Minor, later Minorica minor island) is one of the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish), located in the Mediterranean Sea, and belonging to Spain. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (French Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) 46°47′N 56°12′W is a French overseas collectivity consisting of several small islands off the eastern coast of Canada near Newfoundland. ... French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... By 1763, British North America included 19 British colonies and territories on the continent of North America. ...

Some recovery of the French colonial empire was made during the French intervention in the American Revolution, with Saint Lucia being returned to France by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, but not nearly as much as had been hoped for at the time of French intervention. True disaster came to what remained of France's colonial empire in 1791 when Saint Domingue (comprised of the Western third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola ), France's richest and most important colony, was riven by a massive slave revolt, caused partly by the divisions among the island's elite, which had resulted from the French Revolution of 1789. The slaves, led eventually by Toussaint l'Ouverture and then, following his capture by the French in 1801, by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, held their own against French, Spanish, and British opponents, and ultimately achieved independence as Haiti in 1804 (Haiti became the first black republic in the world, much earlier than any of the future African nations). In the meanwhile, the newly resumed war with Britain by the French, resulted in the British capture of practically all remaining French colonies. These were restored at the Peace of Amiens in 1802, but when war resumed in 1803, the British soon recaptured them. France's repurchase of Louisiana in 1800 came to nothing, as the final success of the Haitian revolt convinced Bonaparte that holding Louisiana would not be worth the cost, leading to its sale to the United States in 1803 (the Louisiana Purchase). Nor was the French attempt to establish a colony in Egypt in 1798–1801 successful. Painting by Benjamin West depicting John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Early map of Hispaniola The Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period in the history of France. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... François-Dominique Toussaint LOuverture François-Dominique Toussaint LOuverture, also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture (c. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Jean-Jacques Dessalines (September 20, 1758–October 17, 1806) was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and an Emperor of Haiti (1804–1806 under the name of Jacques I). ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Amiens was signed on March 25, 1802 (Germinal 4, year X in the French Revolutionary Calendar) by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquis Cornwallis as a Definitive Treaty of Peace between France and Britain. ... --69. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ...

The second French colonial empire

At the close of the Napoleonic Wars, most of France's colonies were restored to it by Britain, notably Guadeloupe and Martinique in the West Indies, French Guiana on the coast of South America, various trading posts in Senegal, the Île de Bourbon (Réunion) in the Indian Ocean, and France's tiny Indian possessions. Britain finally annexed Saint Lucia, Tobago, the Seychelles, and the Île de France (Mauritius), however. Castara village beach looking south, Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ...

The true beginnings of the second French colonial empire, however, were laid in 1830 with the French invasion of Algeria, which was conquered over the next 17 years (see French rule in Algeria). During the time of Napoleon III, an attempt was made to establish a colonial-type protectorate in Mexico, but this came to little, and the French were forced to abandon the experiment after the end of the American Civil War, when the American president invoked the Monroe Doctrine. Napoleon also established French control over Cochin-China (the southernmost part of modern Vietnam including Saigon), as well as a protectorate over Cambodia. Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... // French rule in Algeria, 1830–1962 Most of Frances actions in Algeria, not least the invasion of Algiers, were propelled by contradictory impulses. ... Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the French puppet state, the Kingdom of Holland. ... For the rule of Oliver Cromwell, see The Protectorate. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 1,556,678 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 74,500 Total dead: 198,500 Wounded: 137,000+  The American... U.S. President James Monroe. ... Cochin China (also known as Cochinchina Chu Nom 交趾支那 or in French, Cochinchine) was the southernmost part of Vietnam beside Cambodia. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ...

It was only after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 that most of France's later colonial possessions were acquired. From their base in Cochin-China, the French took over Tonkin and Annam (in modern Vietnam) in 1884-1885. These, together with Cambodia and Cochin-China, formed French Indochina (to which Laos was added in 1887, and Kwang-Chou-Wan in 1900). In 1849, the French "concession" in Shanghai was established, lasting until 1946. The French also expanded their influence in North Africa, establishing a protectorate on Tunisia in 1881. Gradually, French control was established over much of Northern, Western, and Central Africa by the turn of the century (including the modern nations of Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo), as well as the east African coastal enclave of Djibouti (French Somaliland). In 1911, Morocco became a French protectorate. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of Chinas Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. ... Annam, literally meaning Pacified South, is a region of central Vietnam that fell under Chinese rule in 111 BC as Annan (安南). Known locally as Trung Bá»™, meaning Central Boundary, it was formerly a kingdom the size of Sweden with its capital at Huế. It had been seized by the French... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... French Indochina was a federation of protectorates in Southeast Asia, part of the French colonial empire. ... Kwang-Chou-Wan was a small enclave of France on the south coast of China. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海 pinyin: (help· info); Shanghainese: Zanhe ) , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is Chinas largest city. ... North Africa is a region generally considered to include: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara The Azores, Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Madeira are sometimes considered to be a part of North Africa. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Republic of Djibouti (جيبوتي) is a country in eastern Africa, located in the Horn of Africa. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

At this time, the French also established colonies in the South Pacific, including New Caledonia, the various island groups which make up French Polynesia (including the Society Islands, the Marquesas, the Tuamotus), and established joint control of the New Hebrides with Britain. The Society Islands (French: Îles de la Société or offically Archipel de la Société) are a group of islands in the south Pacific, administratively part of French Polynesia. ... The Marquesas Islands is a group of islands in French Polynesia. ... A Satellite photo of the Acteon Group, 4 atolls in the southeastern Tuamotus. ... The New Hebrides are an island group in the South Pacific that now form the nation of Vanuatu. ...

The French made their last major colonial gains after the First World War, when they gained mandates over the former Turkish territories of the Ottoman Empire that make up what is now Syria and Lebanon, as well as most of the former German colonies of Togo and Cameroon. Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 5 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) 3 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) {{{notes}}} World War... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (the Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Sogut (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty...

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, Lebanon, and Madagascar, the US and Britain in Morocco and Algeria, and Germany in Tunisia). Although France's colonies were restored in 1945, France almost immediately had to engage in suppressing a bitter independence struggle in Indochina (see First Indochina War). When this ended with French defeat and withdrawal in 1954, the French almost immediately became involved in a new, and even harsher conflict in their oldest major colony, Algeria (see Algerian War of Independence, Nationalism and resistance in Algeria). Algeria was particularly problematic for the French, due to the large number of European settlers (or pieds-noirs) who had settled there in the century and a quarter of French rule; in addition, a sizeable Jewish community feared that independence would expose them to persecution by Muslim Nationalists. Charles de Gaulle's accession to power in 1958 ultimately led to independence for Algeria in 1962. Most of the other French African colonies had already been granted independence in 1960, following local referendums. Some colonies chose instead to remain part of France, under the statuses of oversea département or oversea territory. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Combatants French Republic Viet Minh Commanders Strength 500,000  ? Casualties 94,581 dead 78,127 wounded 40,000 captured 300,000+ dead 500,000+ wounded 100,000 captured The First Indochina War (also called the French Indochina War) was fought in Southeast Asia from 1946 through 1954 between the nation... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Algerian War of Independence (1954–62) was a period of guerrilla strikes, maquis fighting, terrorism against civilians on both sides, and riots between the French army and colonists, or the colons as they were called, in Algeria and the FLN (Front de Libération Nationale) and other pro-independence... Algerian Nationalism A new generation of Muslim leadership emerged in Algeria at the time of World War I and grew to maturity during the 1920s and 1930s. ... Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( (help· info)) (22 November 1890 - 9 November 1970), in France commonly referred to as général de Gaulle, was a French military leader and statesman. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

After independence, some of France's former colonies continued to participate in the French Union, and later in the French Community, nurturing to varying extents political, economic and cultural ties with their former colonial power. Established by the French constitution of October 27, 1946, the French Union (French: Union Française) was a political entity created to replace the old French colonial system, the French Empire (Empire français). ... The French Community was the political entity which replaced the French Union, which in turn was the descendant of the French Empire following the Second World War. ...

Extent of the French colonial empires

Here is a list of all the 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 or protectorate. When only a part of the country was under French rule, that part is listed in parentheses after the country. When there are no parentheses, it means the whole country was formerly part of any one of the French colonial empires. Countries listed are those where French sovereignty applied effectively. Areas that were only claimed, but not effectively controlled (such as Manhattan or Western Australia) are not listed. Manhattan Borough,highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ...

"1st" means the country/territory was part of the first French colonial empire. "2nd" means the country/territory was part of the second French colonial empire. "Now" means this is a territory still part of the French Republic today.

The Americas

North America

• Canada (most of eastern and central Canada) -- 1st
• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• United States (entire basin of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, Great Lakes) -- 1st

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (French Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) 46°47′N 56°12′W is a French overseas collectivity consisting of several small islands off the eastern coast of Canada near Newfoundland. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ...

Caribbean

• Anguilla (briefly) -- 1st
• Antigua and Barbuda (briefly) -- 1st
• Dominica -- 1st
• Dominican Republic (briefly) -- 1st
• Grenada -- 1st
• Guadeloupe -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• Haiti -- 1st
• Martinique -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• Montserrat (briefly) -- 1st
• Saint Martin (northern half only) -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• Saint-Barthélemy -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• Saint Lucia -- 1st
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -- 1st
• Sint Eustatius (briefly) -- 1st
• St Kitts and Nevis (St Kitts, but not Nevis) -- 1st
• Trinidad and Tobago (Tobago only) -- 1st
• US Virgin Islands (Saint Croix only) -- 1st

St. ... Gustavia Harbor, St. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin Sint Eustatius (also Saint Eustace and Statia) is one of the islands making up the Netherlands Antilles; it is in the northern, Leeward Islands portion of this territory, to the east of the Virgin Islands at... Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation in the Caribbean. ... Nevis is an island in the Caribbean, whose name is derived from an original Spanish name given by Christopher Columbus. ... Castara village beach looking south, Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Saint Croix from space, January 1993 Saint Croix is one of the United States Virgin Islands, a United States territory, in the Caribbean. ...

South America

• Brazil (Rio de Janeiro briefly, and São Luís briefly) -- 1st

(see France Antarctique and France Équinoxiale) Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, immortalised by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese), pron. ... São Luís is the capital of the state of Maranhão, Brazil. ... France Antarctique was the name of the failed French colony south of the Equator, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which existed between 1555 and 1567. ... Equinoxial France was the contemporary name given to the colonization efforts of France in the 17th century in South America, around the line of Equator, before tropical had fully gained its modern meaning: Equinoctial means in Latin of equal nights, i. ...

• French Guiana -- 1st, 2nd, & now

Africa

North Africa

• Morocco (89% of Morocco) -- 2nd
• Algeria -- 2nd
• Tunisia -- 2nd

West Africa

• Benin (as Dahomey) -- 2nd
• Burkina Faso (as Upper Volta)-- 2nd
• Côte d'Ivoire -- 2nd
• Guinea -- 2nd
• Mali (as French Sudan) -- 2nd
• Mauritania -- 2nd
• Niger -- 2nd
• Senegal -- 1st & 2nd
• Togo -- 2nd

Equatorial Africa

• Cameroon (91% of Cameroon) -- 2nd
• Central African Republic -- 2nd
• Chad -- 2nd
• Gabon -- 2nd
• Republic of the Congo ('Congo-Brazzaville') -- 2nd

Indian Ocean

• Comoros -- 2nd
• Madagascar -- 2nd
• Mauritius -- 1st
• Mayotte - 2nd & now
• Réunion -- 1st, 2nd, & now
• Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean - 2nd & now
• Seychelles -- 1st
• Tanzania (Zanzibar, briefly) -- 2nd

This article is in need of attention. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprises a pair of islands off the east coast of Africa called Zanzibar (Unguja) (1994 est. ...

Red Sea

• Djibouti (as French Somaliland) -- 2nd
• Yemen (Cheik-Saïd peninsula) -- 2nd

Asia

Middle East

• Lebanon -- 2nd
• Syria -- 2nd
• Turkey (Sanjak of Alexandretta, now called Hatay province) -- 2nd

Hatay is a region in the middle east around the town of Iskenderun. ...

South Asia

• India
  • half of India (French India)-- 1st
  • only Pondicherry, Karikal, Yanaon, Mahé, and Chandernagore -- 2nd

French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Categories: India geography stubs | Pondicherry | Cities and towns in India ... Yanam or Yanaon is a district of the Union territory of Pondicherry and a town in that district. ... Mahé, also known as Mayyazhi, is a former French colony in India. ... Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar, is a city in India. ...

East Asia

• Cambodia - 2nd
• China
  • Kwang-Chou-Wan (廣州灣) leased territory, now the city of Zhanjiang (Guangdong province) -- 2nd
  • French settlements (concessions) in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Hankou -- 2nd
  • French zone of influence officially recognised by China over the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong -- 2nd
• Laos - 2nd
• Vietnam - 2nd

Kwang-Chou-Wan was a small enclave of France on the south coast of China. ... Location of Zhanjiang Zhanjiang (湛江) is a city in Guangdong province, in southeast China. ... Guangdong (Simplified Chinese: 广东; Traditional Chinese: 廣東; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-tung; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangtung or Canton Province, Jyutping: gwong2 dung1), is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海 pinyin: (help· info); Shanghainese: Zanhe ) , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is Chinas largest city. ... Location within China Canton, China redirects here. ... Tianjin (Chinese: 天津; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Postal System Pinyin: Tientsin) is one of the four municipalities of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Hankou (漢口; pinyin: Hànkǒu; Wade-Giles: Hankow) is one of the three towns, together with Wuchang and Hanyang, which are included in modern day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, in China. ... Yunnan (Simplified Chinese: 云南; Traditional Chinese: 雲南; Hanyu pinyin: ) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located in the far southwestern corner of the country. ... Guangxi (Zhuang: Gvangjsih; old orthography: ; Simplified Chinese: 广西; Traditional Chinese: 廣西; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-hsi; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangsi), full name Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Zhuang: Gvangjsih Bouxcuengh Swcigih; old orthography: ; Simplified Chinese: 广西壮族自治区; Traditional Chinese: 廣西壯族自治區; Hanyu pinyin: ) is a Zhuang autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Hainan (Chinese: 海南; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located at the southern end of the country. ... Guangdong (Simplified Chinese: 广东; Traditional Chinese: 廣東; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-tung; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangtung or Canton Province, Jyutping: gwong2 dung1), is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Oceania

• Clipperton - 2nd & now
• New Caledonia -- 2nd & now
• French Polynesia -- 2nd & now
• Vanuatu (condominium shared with the British Empire) -- 2nd
• Wallis and Futuna -- 2nd & now

Clipperton Island (locally known as Île Clipperton and sometimes Île de la Passion) is an uninhabited seven-square-kilometer coral atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,300 km southwest of France administered from French Polynesia by a high commissioner of the Republic; its defense is the responsibility of France. ... In international law, a condominium is a territory in which two sovereign powers have equal rights. ... The British Empire was, at one time, the foremost global power, and the most extensive empire in the history of the world. ...

Antarctic Ocean

• French Southern and Antarctic Lands -- 2nd & now

Territories where French colonisation was checked

These are further countries or territories where France had major economic and political interests, but was prevented from incorporating them into her colonial empire due to active British opposition.

• Egypt (Suez Canal)
• Ethiopia
• India
• northern Iraq (oil fields of Mosul and Kirkuk)
• Palestine
• Sudan
• Tangiers - was an international protectorate, but the administration of the of the Tangier International Zone was attached to French Morocco
• New Zealand - the French established a Colony at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula in the South Island, but were thwarted in plans to expand by the arrival of HMS Britomart a few days before the French warship dispatched to the area.
• Thailand - had to surrender its hegemony over Laos and Cambodia, had to grant commercial concessions to France, but remained independent due to the desire of British authorities to establish Thailand as a buffer state between French Indochina and British India

1881 drawing of the Suez Canal. ... Mosul (36°22′N 43°07′E; Arabic: , Kurdish: Mûsil, Syriac: ܢܝܢܘܐ NînÄ›wâ) is a city in northern Iraq. ... Kirkuk city centre. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Tangier (in Berber and Arabic Tanja, in Spanish Tánger and in French Tanger) is a city of northern Morocco with a population of 350,000, or 550,000 including suburbs. ... A view of the Akaroa harbour. ...

Organization of the French Empire in 1920

At the height of the second French colonial empire in 1920, the Empire was organized into the following colonies: 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

Africa and the Indian Ocean

• Algeria
• Cameroon (a League of Nations Mandate)
• French Equatorial Africa
  • Chad
  • Gabon
  • Middle Congo
  • Oubangi-Chari
• French Morocco (a protectorate)
• French Somaliland
• French Togoland (a League of Nations Mandate)
• French West Africa
  • Dahomey
  • French Guinea
  • French Sudan
  • Ivory Coast
  • Mauritania
  • Niger
  • Senegal
  • Upper Volta
• Madagascar (including the Comoros and Mayotte)
• Réunion
• Tunisia (a protectorate)

The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. ... League of Nations mandates were territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919. ... French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert. ... The Republic of the Congo, also known as Middle Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Congo (but not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, which was also at one time known as the Republic of the Congo), is a former French colony of west-central Africa. ... French Morocco (Fr. ...  :For the capital of Djibouti, see Djibouti city. ... French Togoland was a France Mandate territory in West Africa, which later became the Togolese Republic. ... French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, or AOF) was a federation of eight French territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), Guinea, Côte dIvoire, Niger, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Dahomey (now Benin). ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... French Guinea (in West Africa) became independent from France in 1958 (see Guinea). ... French Sudan (Fr. ... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... Upper Volta (French: Haute-Volta) was the name of the African country now called Burkina Faso until August 4, 1984. ...

The Americas

• French Guiana
• Guadaloupe (including Saint Barthélemy and half of Saint Martin)
• Martinique
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean Sea, is an archipelago with a total area of 1,704 km² located in the Eastern Caribbean. ... Gustavia Harbor, St. ... St. ...

Asia

• French India (Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Karaikal, Mahé, Yanaon, now part of India)
• French Indochina
  • Annam (a protectorate, part of modern Vietnam)
  • Cambodia (a protectorate)
  • Cochin China (part of modern Vietnam)
  • Laos (a protectorate)
  • Tonkin (a protectorate, part of modern Vietnam)
• Kwang-Chou-Wan (a leased port in China)
• Lebanon (a League of Nations Mandate)
• Syria (a League of Nations Mandate)

French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar, is a city in India. ... Karaikal, also Karikal, is one of the four regions of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. ... Mahé, also known as Mayyazhi, is a former French colony in India. ... Yanam or Yanaon is a district of the Union territory of Pondicherry and a town in that district. ... French Indochina was a federation of protectorates in Southeast Asia, part of the French colonial empire. ... Annam, literally meaning Pacified South, is a region of central Vietnam that fell under Chinese rule in 111 BC as Annan (安南). Known locally as Trung Bộ, meaning Central Boundary, it was formerly a kingdom the size of Sweden with its capital at Huế. It had been seized by the French... Cochin China (also known as Cochinchina or in French, Cochinchine) was the southernmost part of Vietnam beside Cambodia. ... Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of Chinas Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. ... Kwang-Chou-Wan was a small enclave of France on the south coast of China. ...

The Pacific

• French Polynesia
• New Caledonia
• New Hebrides (held in condominium with the United Kingdom)

The New Hebrides are an island group in the South Pacific that now form the nation of Vanuatu. ...

See also

• French colonisation of the Americas
• French Equatorial Africa
• Colonial Cambodia
• La Francophonie

• Decolonisation

// North America The French established colonies across the New World in the 17th century. ... French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert. ... // French Colonial Occupation In October of 1887, the French announced the formation of the Union Indochinoise (Indochinese Union), which at that time comprised Cambodia, already an autonomous French possession, and the three regions of Vietnam (Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchina. ... La Francophonie (occasionally in English Francophony, formally lOrganisation internationale de la Francophonie), a French language term coined in 1880 by French geographer Onésime Reclus to designate the community of people and countries using French, is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments. ... Decolonization generally refers to a movement following the Second World War in which the various European colonies of the world were granted independence. ...

External links

• Threats to the national independence of Thailand, from Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

// North America The French established colonies across the New World in the 17th century. ... The arms of the British South Africa Company A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonisation. ...

Colonialism
Belgian Empire | British Empire | Danish Empire | Dutch Empire | French Empire | German Empire | Italian Empire Japanese Empire | Portuguese Empire | Russian Empire | Spanish Empire | Swedish Empire | United States Empire