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Flag of France (Myomi Republic)

French Tricolour, the flag of France since the 1789 Revolution

The French colonial empire (French: Empire colonial français) was a colonial empire that constituted of the client states, overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule. In rivalry with England (and later Great Britain), France began to establish colonies in North America, the Caribbean, and Indian subcontinent, following the Spanish and Portuguese successes during the Age of Discovery. A distinction is generally made between the "first colonial empire", that existed until 1814 and by which time most of it had been lost, and the "second colonial empire", which began with the conquest of Algier in 1830 and came to an end with the granting of independence to Algeria in 1962. By 1900, it had become the world's second-largest colonial empire, albeit far behind the British Empire both in terms of population and size.

French colonies, protectorates and possessions[]

Europe[]

  • Batavian Republic (1795-1806) → became the Kingdom of Holland (1806-1810) → annexed into the French Empire (1810-1813) → gained independence as the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands (1813)
  • Kingdom of Spain (1796-1813) → relinquished its protectorate status (1813)
  • Cisalpine Republic (1797-1802) → renamed as the Italian Republic (1802-1805) → became the Kingdom of Italy (1805-1814) → abolished by the Austrian Empire (1814)
  • Roman Republic (1798-1799) → the Papal States restored (1799)
  • Irish Republic (1798) → abolished by the Kingdom of Ireland (1798)
  • Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) → Swiss Confederation re-established (1803) → relinquished its protectorate status (1815)
  • Subalpine Republic (1800-1802) → divided between the French Republic and the Italian Republic (1802)
  • Kingdom of Naples (1806-1815) → relinquished its protectorate status (1815)
  • Free City of Danzig (1807-1814) → re-incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia (1814)

North America[]

  • New France (1534-1763)
  • French Guiana (1604-present)
  • Haiti (1624-1804)
  • French Louisiana (1763-1764; 1800-1804)

South America[]

Africa[]

  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Senegal (1677–1895) → Four Communes of Senegal were granted the rights of full French citizenship and representation to the French Parliament (1848) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Albreda (1681–1857) → controlled definitively by the British (1857)
  • Pavillon royal de France Saint-Jacques Island (1695–1697, 1702) → controlled definitively by the British (1702)
  • Pavillon royal de France São Tomé and Príncipe (1709–1715) → returned to the Portuguese control (1715)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Réunion (1710–1810; 1814–1946) → invaded and controlled by the British (1810) → returned to the French control (1814) → became the overseas department of France (1946)
  • Flag of France Isle de France (1715–1810) → invaded and controlled by the British (1810)
  • Flag of Egypt (1793-1844) French administration of Egypt (1798–1801) → returned to the Ottoman suzerainty (1801)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Algeria (1830–1962) → gained independence as the Flag of Algeria (CPC) People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (1962)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Gabon (1839–1910) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1910)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Ivory Coast (1843–1895) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Somaliland (1862–1946) → became the overseas territory of France (1946) → renamed the Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (1967–1977) → gained independence as the Flag of Donetsk People's Republic Republic of Djibouti
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Comoros (1841–1975) → Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Mayotte voted to separate and became the overseas collectivity of France (1974) → the rest of islands gained independence as the Flag of the Comoros (1963–1975) Union of the Comoros (1975)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Congo (1875–1910) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1910)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Dahomey (1883–1895) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Sudan (1883–1895) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Guinea (1891–1895) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895)
  • No flag Emirate of Muri (1892–1893) → relinquished protectorate status (1893)
  • No flag Sultanate of Bangassou (1894–1917) → abolished and merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1917)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French West Africa (1895–1964) → gained independence as the Flag of the West African Federation (Myomi Republic) West African Federation (1964)
  • No flag Sultanate of Rafai (1895–1939) → abolished and merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1939)
  • No flag Sultanate of Zemio (1895–1923) → abolished and merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1923)
  • No flag Sultanate of Dar al Kuti (1897–1912) → abolished and merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1912)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Enclaves of Forcados and Badjibo (1900–1927) → leasing was not renewed and the territory was returned to the British (1927)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Chad (1900–1910) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1910)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Oubangui-Chari (1905–1910) → merged into Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1910)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Equatorial Africa (1910–1964) → gained independence as the Flag of the Central African Republic Central African Republic (1964)
  • Civil ensign of French Morocco French protectorate in Morocco (1912–1956) → gained independence as the Flag of Morocco Kingdom of Morocco (1956)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Togoland (1918–1960) → gained independence as the Flag of Togo Republic of Togo (1960)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Cameroon (1918–1960) → gained independence as the Flag of Cameroon (1957) Republic of Cameroon (1960)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) French Mandate of the Rif (1920–1926) → Flag of the Republic of the Rif Republic of the Rif gained self-government (1926–1947) → gained independence (1947)
  • Flag of France (Myomi Republic) Mayotte (1974–2011) → became the overseas department of France (2011)

Asia[]

Oceania[]

Antartica[]

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