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French territory over time (1/2)
The French colonial Empire is all the territories that were ruled by France.
Key points of the sheet
- Colonisation is the conquest and control of a territory by another. Europe begins colonisation from 1400, but it speeds up mainly after 1700.
- First colonies: Quebec is founded in 1608 in Canada by a Frenchman. Guadeloupe and Martinique become French in 1635, and Saint-Domingue in 1697.
- In North Africa, the French army conquers Algeria in 1830. Tunisia is placed under French protectorate in 1881, and Morocco in 1912.
- In Africa, Mayotte becomes a French protectorate in 1841. Madagascar is placed under French protectorate in 1895.
- France takes possession of New Caledonia in 1854. Polynesia becomes a colony in 1880. Indochina is created in 1887 under a French government.
- French West Africa (AOF) is created in 1895. French Equatorial Africa (AEF) is created in 1910.
- The first colonisation (17th-18th century) includes New France, the Antilles and Guiana. The second (19th-20th century) includes for example Madagascar, Indochina and Djibouti.
Words to know
- French colonial Empire (Empire colonial français)
- It is all the territories that were ruled by France.
- colonisation
- It is the conquest and control of a territory by another.
- French protectorate (protectorat français)
- Tunisia in 1881, Madagascar in 1895 and Morocco in 1912 are placed under French protectorate.
- New France (Nouvelle-France)
- Canada, where Quebec is founded in 1608, is part of New France.
- French West Africa (AOF) (Afrique Occidentale Française (AOF))
- It is created in 1895 by the union of Senegal, French Sudan, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire.
- French Equatorial Africa (AEF) (Afrique Équatoriale Française (AEF))
- It is created in 1910 with Gabon, Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari and Chad.
Test yourself: 3 questions
In which year was Quebec founded by a Frenchman?
In French, the language of the exam: En quelle année le Québec est-il fondé par un Français ?
The sheet says that in 1608, Quebec is founded in Canada by a Frenchman.
In which year was Morocco placed under a French protectorate?
In French, the language of the exam: En quelle année le Maroc est-il placé sous protectorat français ?
Morocco is placed under French protectorate in 1912.
What is colonisation?
In French, the language of the exam: Qu'est-ce que la colonisation ?
Colonisation means the conquest and control of a territory by another.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- Which country was colonised by France?
- Which country or region of the world did France colonise?
- Which country was a French colony?
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Source
Sheet “Le territoire français dans le temps (1/2)” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.