French West Africa

French West Africa (French: Afrique occidentale française, AOF) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin) and Niger. The capital of the federation was Dakar. The federation existed from 1895 until 1960.

Read more about French West Africa:  History, Territorial Changes, Federal Structure, Colonial Administration, Local Administration, Geography

Famous quotes containing the words french, west and/or africa:

    “But as some silly young men returning from France affect a broken English, to be thought perfect in the French language; so his Lordship, I think, to seem a perfect understander of the unintelligible language of the Schoolmen, pretends an ignorance of his mother-tongue. He talks here of command and counsel as if he were no Englishman, nor knew any difference between their significations.”
    —Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)

    “Where there’s more of singing and less of sighing,
    Where there’s more of giving and less of buying,
    And a man makes friends without half trying
    That’s where the West begins.”
    —Arthur Chapman (1873–1935)

    ““I’ll love you dear, I’ll love you
    Till China and Africa meet,
    And the river jumps over the mountain
    And the salmon sing in the street.”
    —W.H. (Wystan Hugh)