French Guinea

French Guinea (French: Guinée française) was a French colonial possession in West Africa. Its borders, while changed over time, were in 1958 those of the current independent nation of Guinea.

French Guinea
Guinée française'
Constituent of French West Africa
1891–1958

Green: French Guinea
Lime: French West Africa
Dark gray: Other French possessions
Darkest gray: French Republic
Anthem
La Marseillaise
CapitalConakry
Government
Governor 
 1891-1900
Noel Ballay
 1956-1958
Jean Ramadier
History 
 Established
1891
October 1958
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Imamate of Futa Jallon
Guinea
Today part of Guinea

French Guinea was established by France in 1891, within the same borders as its previous colony known as Rivières du Sud (1882–1891). Prior to 1882, the coastal portions of French Guinea were part of the French colony of Senegal.

In 1891, Rivières du Sud was placed under the colonial lieutenant governor at Dakar, who had authority over the French coastal regions east to Porto-Novo (modern Benin). In 1894 Rivières du Sud, Cote d'Ivoire and Dahomey were separated into 'independent' colonies, with Rivières du Sud being renamed as the Colony of French Guinea. In 1895, French Guinea was made one of several dependent colonies and its Governor became one of several Lieutenant Governors who reported to a Governor-General in Dakar. In 1904, this federation of colonies was formalised as French West Africa. French Guinea, Senegal, Dahomey, Cote d'Ivoire and Upper Senegal and Niger, were each ruled by a lieutenant governor, under the Governor General in Dakar.

Colonial history

Guinea was ruled by France until 1958. It became independent from France in 1958 following its voters' rejection of Charles de Gaulle's Constitution of 1958. At the time French Guinea was the only colony to reject the new constitution. French Guinea became the modern-day country of Guinea, keeping French as its official language.

See also

References

    • Jean Suret-Canale. French Colonialism in Tropical Africa 1900–1945. Trans. Pica Press (1971)
    • Jean Suret-Canale. Guinea in the Colonial System, in Essays on African History. Translated, Hurst (1980)

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