French Colonial Empire
RegionFrance/Africa/Asia
Period1534-1980
Peak Size13 million km2 at peak
Founded ByVarious
About French Colonial Empire
The second largest colonial empire after Britain. Controlled much of West and North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. The Algerian War of Independence from 1954-1962 was particularly brutal. Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia were French Indochina. French is still spoken in 29 countries.
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