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Which country was a French colony?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Algeria. Algeria was a French colony. The French army conquered it in 1830. It became independent after the Algerian war (1954-1962). Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Le territoire français dans le temps (1/2)” (in French). The other three choices are explained below.
Sources: Sheet “Le territoire français dans le temps (1/2)” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✓ AlgeriaL'AlgérieCorrect answer. Algeria was a French colony. The French army conquered it in 1830. It became independent after the Algerian war (1954-1962).
- ✗ BelgiumLa BelgiqueBelgium is a European colonial power, not a French colony.
- ✗ The United KingdomLe Royaume-UniThe United Kingdom is also a colonial power, not a French colony.
- ✗ ItalyL'ItalieItaly is a founding country of the EEC, not a French colony.
What the source says
« En 1830, l’Algérie est conquise par l’armée française »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Quel pays a été une colonie française ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Quel pays a été une colonie française ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Le territoire français dans le temps (1/2)” (French).
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