These include countries such as Algeria, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Morocco, Rwanda, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia. Feb 26, 2019 - I will try to keep adding to this board. In 1904, both Mauritania and Niger were classed "Military Territories": ruled by the AOF in conjunction with officers of the French Colonial Forces. Niger. But even these rulers were replaced by individuals handpicked by French authorities. Larger polities which presented a segment of the elite who would work with the French were maintained under new leadership. Benin. Current President: Patrice Talon,(2016–present) … $0.80. Countries belonging to the mainly French-speaking Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA) have been growing at an average rate of 3.4 percent per annum in the last ten years, whilst those of the mainly English-speaking … Approximately 9.98 million people live in this West African nation. In the continent, French is spoken together with the people’s indigenous dialects, but in some urban settings both in the central and western Africa, It is their formal language. The Togolese Republic is in western Africa. Although it doesn't make the top five (Mandarin, Spanish, English, Hindi and Arabic), or even the top 10 (Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Japanese with Punjabi, Javanese and German fighting it for 10th place), French has a REUTERS/Benoit Tessier . Region: West Africa. French in West Africa The French in West Africa: Early Contact to Independence Stephen Wooten Department of Anthropology University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Early Contacts Direct European contact in West Africa dates back at least as far as the fifteenth century AD when Portuguese traders made their first links with West African coastal peoples. Countries that use CFA franc: Eight countries make up the West African Economic and Monetary Union and a further six are in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. Each territory was to become a "Protectorate", with the consultative assembly named a National Assembly. The Assembly would name an African as Head of Government with advisory powers to the Head of State. 7. Initially, the Europeans that went there tried to be influential by using religion and language. Thus, a Cercle Commander might be the absolute authority over hundreds of thousands of Africans. The federation existed from 1895 until 1958. Benin covers a land mass that is equivalent to 110,000 square kilometres (42,000 sq mi) holding a population of a… • Creole– some define them as a “French”, others not, but French mixed with local languages is widespread across the francophone cou… A Cercle consisted of several cantons, each of which in turn consisted of several villages, and was almost universal in France's African colonies from 1895 to 1946. A governor-general was based first in Saint-Louis, then (from 1902) in Dakar (both in Senegal, the oldest French settlement). https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/french-speaking-countries-in-africa.html [citation needed] They were Military Territories, directly controlled by the French Army. The capital of the federation was Dakar. Until after World War II, almost none of the Africans living in the colonies of France were citizens of France. The elections brought to prominence a new generation of French-educated Africans. List some of the modern-day countries that were once part of France’s West African territories. More than 20 of the countries in Africa speak French, largely due to France’s vast colonization on the continent. The first governor-general of Senegal was named in 1895, and in 1904, the territories he oversaw were formally named French West Africa (AOF). French West Africa #36//41. Ghana is an ideal destination for those searching for a place to relax, immerse in the authentic African culture and learn more about African history – no wonder it is called ‘Africa for beginners,’ making it a perfect d… $2.40. In 1945 the French Provisional Government allocated ten seats to French West Africa in the new Constituent Assembly called to write a new French Constitution. In late 1946 under this new constitution, each territory was for the first time (excepting the Four Communes) able elect local representatives, albeit on a limited franchise, to newly established General Councils. BANQUE DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE: 3: 1892 Provisional Issue: 5A - 13A: 1903-1924 "CONAKRY" Issue: 5B - 13B: 1916-1932 "DAKAR" Issue: 6C - 13C: 1919-1924 "DUALA" Issue: 5D - 14D: 1904-1919 "GRAND BASSAM" Issue: 5E - 14E: 1904-1924 "PORTO-NOVO" Issue: 5F - 7F: 1904-1918 "SAINT-LOUIS" Issue : 5G: 10.07.1919 "Without Place of Issue" 21 - 23: 1934-1945 Issue: 25 … West Africa is the region that makes up the westernmost part of Africa. Gabon (/ ɡ ə ˈ b ɒ n /; French pronunciation: ), officially the Gabonese Republic (French: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa.Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. French businesses in Africa. Hailed as West Africa’s golden child, it is one of Africa’s success stories with a stable democracy in the fast-paced of civilisation. About 9,000 French … Upper Volta. In most instances, the translation is as simple as attaching something like -ique or -ie to the end of the name. Certain territories of the Sudan were grouped together under the name Senegambia and Niger (Sénégambie-Niger; 1903), which was transformed into Upper Senegal and Niger (Haut-Sénégal-Niger; 1904). They might range in size, but French Sudan (modern Mali) consisted of less than a dozen Cercles for most of its existence. Six Anglophone countries of … The "Cercle Commander" ("commandant de cercle") was subject to the authority of a District Commander, and the government of the colony above him, but was independent of the Military structure (outside Military areas, e.g. However, there are a few high points that are scattered all over the region. Africa to France is like Latin America to the US and East Europe to the Soviet Union. Mali. Mali Federation. French West Africa was a federation of French colonies in West Africa that existed from 1895 until 1958. The first issues printed specifically for the federation were the Eboue common design type and a definitive series depicting colonial soldiers, both in 1945. Originally created in 1895 as a union of Senegal, French Sudan, French Guinea and Ivory Coast only, the federation was placed on a permanent footing in 1904. Senegal and former French Sudan became the Mali Federation (1960–61), while Ivory Coast, Niger, Upper Volta and Dahomey subsequently formed the short-lived Sahel-Benin Union, later the Conseil de l'Entente. Upper Senegal and Niger was renamed the French Sudan in 1920. African Countries That Speak French. On the 29th of June 2019, the leaders of the 15 countries … Despite this state of flux, and with the exception of the Senegalese Communes, the administrative structure of French rule at the lower levels remained constant, based upon the Cercle system. Throughout the history of the AOF, individual colonies and military territories were reorganized numerous times,[6] as was the Government General in Dakar. A revamped common currency in West Africa known as the ECO will be launched in 2020, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. See more ideas about french west africa, african countries, west africa. The CFA is used in 12 francophone African countries as well as Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. The administrative structure of French colonial possessions in West Africa, while more homogeneous than neighboring British possessions, was marked by variety and flux. Côte d'Ivoire. The countries are members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, or WAEMU, and all, except Guinea-Bissau, are former French colonies. It also included tropical forests in Ivory Coast and Guinea, the Fouta Djallon highlands, and the Aïr Mountains of modern Niger. They were styled "Chefs de canton", "Chefs du Village", or occasionally taking the title of precolonial states assimilated by the French structure whole. A series of 1947 featured 19 scenes and people of the various colonies, then during the 1950s there were about 30 various commemoratives. In most instances, the translation is as simple as attaching something like -ique or -ie to the end of the name. Benin covers an area of around 115,000 sq km. Created in stages, French West Africa eventually included eight colonies: SENEGAL, French Sudan (present-day MALI), GUINEA, IVORY COAST, Dahomey (present-day BENIN), Upper Volta (present-day BURKINA FASO), NIGER, and MAURITANIA. It was followed by a Stamp Day issue on March 21, 1959, which omitted the federation's name and was inscribed "CF" along with "Dakar-Abidjan" for use in Ivory Coast and Senegal. This code gave summary powers to French administrators, including the rights to arrest, try, punish and imprison subjects. • Indian Ocean – specific to Réunion, Mauritius, and Seychelle. Its borders include Burkina Faso and Niger on the north, Togo on the west and Nigeria on the east. In 1946, the Loi Lamine Guèye granted some limited citizenship rights to natives of the African colonies. Africa is thus the continent with the most French speakers in the world. The Canton, then, was much smaller than, and qualitatively different from, the pre-colonial states of the Sahel (such as the Toucouleur Empire) which the French would later conquer.[9]. Guineans[5] voted overwhelmingly for independence. The use of the CFA franc is highly controversial, with some saying it comes with a "French colonial tax". The West African CFA franc (French: franc CFA; Portuguese: franco CFA or simply franc, ISO 4217 code: XOF) is the currency of eight independent states in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.These eight countries had a combined population of 105.7 million people in 2014, and a combined GDP of US$128.6 billion (as of 2018). This was the smallest unit of French political administration in French colonial Africa that was headed by a European officer. The population covers both the people who consider it a primary or secondary language. 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. The largest religious group is Roman Catholicism. The French had a presence in West Africa dating back to the 1600s, most prominently in Senegal, which was a major point of embarkation for slaves to the New World (). ", This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 11:57. Africa’s biggest economic and demographic force, Nigeria represents more than two-thirds of ECOWAS’s GDP and at least half of its population. The Loi Cadre of 23 June 1956 brought universal suffrage to elections held after that date in all French African colonies. African French is the generic name of the varieties of a French language spoken by an estimated 141 million people in Africa in 2018 spread across 34 countries and territories. In theory, the Governors-General of the AOF reported directly to the Minister of Colonies in Paris, while individual colonies and territories reported only to Dakar. The AOF subsequently expanded to neighbouring French-ruled territories: Dahomey was added in 1904, after having been put under colonial tutelage in 1892; Mauritania in 1920,[7] and when the territory of Upper Volta was divided from French Sudan by colonial decree in 1921, it automatically also entered the AOF. Its capital is Bamako. Special trade relationship with Africa. The exception was the Four Communes of Senegal: those areas had been towns of the tiny Senegal Colony in 1848 when, at the abolition of slavery by the French Second Republic, all residents of France were granted equal political rights. DAKAR, Senegal — France announced Monday that it will send hundreds more soldiers to West Africa, and five presidents of countries in the … FRENCH WEST AFRICA: CONTENT. Including the broad definition of the Maghreb region, West Africa has a total area of approximately 2,370,667 miles squared (about a fifth of Africa). Ghanaian soldiers enter parliament to break up MPs at odds over vote. French is the official language of Benin. Where these larger polities resisted the French, they were often broken into small chiefdoms. Africa Anti-French sentiment on the rise in West Africa as security situation deteriorates. Burkina Faso. [citation needed]. In 2016, the trade surplus with sub-Saharan African reached the highest level for 10 years at €3.5 billion. As for the French side, French West Africa was colonized between 1890-1914 and French-Ecuadorian Africa between 1899-1922. These chiefs were assigned created territories based on the scale of a French Canton, as well as on the small scale tribal structures the French found in the coastal areas of the Rivières du Sud colony in the 1880s, modern Guinea. Omissions? French … Kemi Seba in 2008. Guinea. France has never hidden its ambition to extend the West African Economic and Monetary Union (currently grouping the eight West African CFA franc countries alone) to other countries in the region. French West Africa, French Afrique Occidentale Française (AOF), administrative grouping under French rule from 1895 until 1958 of the former French territories of West Africa: Senegal, French Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and the French Sudan, to which Dahomey was added in 1899. All the colonies except Guinea voted to remain in the new structure. "Bizerta to the Bight: The French in Africa. This tropical sub-Saharan country depends on agriculture. () The colonial movements of France were Senegal centered in the west-east direction towards inner parts of Africa. Of these five would be elected by citizens (which only in the Four Communes could an African hope to win) and five by African subjects. If you’re planning to visit West Africa this year, make sure you visit the ancient city of Ghana. for a progression of maps of the border changes of individual sub-entities, see: authorities in West Africa declared allegiance to the Vichy regime, List of Governors-General of French West Africa, WHKMLA Historical Atlas of French West Africa, French Colonial Reading of Ethnographic Research, "France: Africa: French West Africa and the Sahara", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_West_Africa&oldid=999084588, 1895 establishments in French West Africa, 1895 establishments in the French colonial empire, 1958 disestablishments in French West Africa, 1958 disestablishments in the French colonial empire, States and territories disestablished in 1958, States and territories established in 1895, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Langley, Michael. The CFA franc (in French: franc CFA [fʁɑ̃ seɛfɑ], originally Franc of the French Colonies in Africa, recently Franc of the Financial Community of Africa, or colloquially franc) is the name of two currencies, the West African CFA franc, used in eight West African countries, and the Central African CFA franc, used in six Central African countries.. Approximately 9.98 million people live in this West African nation. French politicians knew they had to maintain close relationships with African countries. The French colonial territories in the federation issued their own postage stamps until 1943. African people are pressured to speak French instead of their own languages. On 31 March 1957, under universal suffrage, territorial Assembly elections were held in each of the eight colonies (Togo as a UN trust Territory was at this stage on a different trajectory). Benin. Just over 30 years after the idea was initially conceived, it appears that the whole of West Africa will now be adopting one currency. West African CFA-Franc nations plan to move reserves from France. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Africa. The Constitution of the French Fifth Republic of 1958 again changed the structure of the colonies from the French Union to the French Community. The latest Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries on a rating scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (Highly clean) in the world. There are several other countries where they speak French in Africa, although French is not the official language. That means that this a very easy French lesson which students of … In general, Canton Chiefs served at the behest of their Cercle Commander and were left to see to their own affairs as long as calm was maintained and Administrative orders were carried out. These were Africans appointed by French officials for their loyalty to France, regardless of their rights to local power. Learning Objectives. Because of administrative practice and geographic isolation, Cercle Commanders had a tremendous amount of power over the lives of the Africans around them. Just over 30 years after the idea was initially conceived, it appears that the whole of West Africa will now be adopting one currency. Mauritania. After the Fall of France in June 1940 and the two battles of Dakar against the Free French Forces in July and September 1940, authorities in West Africa declared allegiance to the Vichy regime, as did the colony of French Gabon in AEF. The Minister, with the approval of the French Chamber of Deputies (French National Assembly after 1946), chose Lieutenants Governor and Governors-General. Spoken by an estimated population of 7.5 million juniors were the évolués, or evolved ones renaming of various... 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