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Information about French Equatorial Africa

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Location of French Equatorial Africa


French Equatorial Africa (French: Afrique Équatoriale Française, AEF) was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.

Established in 1910, the federation contained four territories — Gabon, Middle Congo (now the Republic of the Congo), Oubangui-Chari (or Ubangi-Shari, now the Central African Republic) and Chad, although the last was not organized as a separate entity until 1920. The governor-general was based in Brazzaville with deputies in each territory.

In 1911 France ceded parts of the territory to German Cameroon as a result of the Agadir Crisis. The territory was returned after Germany's defeat in World War I, but Cameroun, a League of Nations mandate, was not reintegrated to the AEF.

During World War II the federation rallied to the Free French Forces under Félix Éboué (August 1940, except for Gabon which was Vichy French between 16 June 1940 – 12 November 1940) and became the centre for their activities in Africa.

Under France's Fourth Republic (1946–58), the federation was represented in the French parliament. When the territories voted in the September 1958 referendum to become autonomous within the French Community, the federation was dissolved. In 1959 the new republics formed an interim association called the Union of Central African Republics, before becoming fully independent in August 1960.

Postage stamps

The postal administrations of the four territories were separate until 1936, each issuing its own stamps. In that year, stamps of Gabon and Middle Congo were overprinted AFRIQUE / ÉQUATORIALE / FRANÇAISE. A definitive series for the colony followed in 1937, featuring local scenes and key (French) figures in the formation of the colony, with various color and value changes each year through 1940.

The 1937 series was overprinted AFRIQUE FRANÇAISE / LIBRE or just LIBRE in 1940 by the Free French, and in 1941 they issued a series depicting a phoenix rising from the flames.

A new definitive series, featuring local scenery and people, was issued in 1946, and another twenty-odd stamps came out during the 1950s, with the last being the omnibus Human Rights issue on 10 December 1958.

References

  • Pakenham, Thomas (1991) The scramble for Africa, 1876-1912, London : Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 738 p., ISBN 0-29-781130-4
  • Petringa, Maria (2006) Brazzà, A Life for Africa, Milton Keynes : AuthorHouse, 276 p., ISBN 1-4259-1198-6

See also

 •  • [ e]
French overseas empire
Former
Present
French (français, pronounced [fʁɑ̃ˈsɛ]) is a Romance language originally spoken in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and today by about 300 million people around the world as either
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Motto
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
Anthem
"La Marseillaise"


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Central Africa is a core region of the African continent often considered to include:
  • Burundi
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Rwanda
Middle Africa
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Mouth Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo
Length 4,700 km (2,922 mi)

Avg.
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Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى, aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-koubra, "The Great Desert", (
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1880s  1890s  1900s  - 1910s -  1920s  1930s  1940s
1907 1908 1909 - 1910 - 1911 1912 1913

Year 1910 (MCMX
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Anthem
La Concorde


Capital
(and largest city) Libreville

Official languages French
Demonym Gabonese
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Motto
"Unité, Travail, Progrès"   (French)
"Unity, Work, Progress"
Anthem
La Congolaise
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Motto
"Unité, Travail, Progrès"   (French)
"Unity, Work, Progress"
Anthem
La Congolaise
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Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. It followed the establishment of the Bangui outpost in 1889, and was named in 1894.
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Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent country of the Central African Republic on August 13, 1960. It followed the establishment of the Bangui outpost in 1889, and was named in 1894.
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Motto
"Unité, Dignité, Travail"   (French)
"Unity, Dignity, Work"
Anthem
La Renaissance   (French)
E Zingo
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Motto
"Unité, Travail, Progrès"   (French)
"Unity, Work, Progress"
Anthem
"La Tchadienne"
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1890s  1900s  1910s  - 1920s -  1930s  1940s  1950s
1917 1918 1919 - 1920 - 1921 1922 1923

Year 1920 (MCMXX
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Brazzaville

Map of the Republic of Congo showing Brazzaville.
Coordinates:
Capital district Brazzaville
Government
 - Governor Hugues Ngouélondélé
Area
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Anthem
"Das Lied der Deutschen" (third stanza)
also called "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit"
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Motto
"Paix - Travail - Patrie"   (French)
"Peace - Work - Fatherland"
Anthem
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Agadir Crisis, also called the Second Moroccan Crisis, was the international tension sparked by the deployment of the German gunboat Panther, to the Moroccan port of Agadir on July 1 1911.
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Clockwise from top: Trenches on the Western Front; a British Mark IV tank crossing a trench; Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the Battle of the Dardanelles; a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks, and German Albatros D.
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This article is about the historical French colony. For the modern nation, see Cameroon.


Cameroun was a French mandate territory in central Africa, now constituting the majority of the territory of the Republic of Cameroon.
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League of Nations mandate refers to several territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919. Upon the entry into force of the Charter of the United Nations in late 1945, the mandates of the League of Nations (except for South-West
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Allied powers:
 Soviet Union
 United States
 United Kingdom
 China
 France
...et al. Axis powers:
 Germany
 Japan
 Italy
...et al.
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The Free French Forces (French: Forces Françaises Libres, FFL) were French fighters in World War II, who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation.
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Félix Adolphe Éboué (December 26, 1884 - March 17, 1944) was a Black French (French Guianan-born) colonial administrator and Free French leader.

Biography

Born in Cayenne, the grandson of slaves, he was the fourth of a family of five brothers.
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1910s  1920s  1930s  - 1940s -  1950s  1960s  1970s
1937 1938 1939 - 1940 - 1941 1942 1943

Year 1940 (MCMXL
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Anthem
La Concorde


Capital
(and largest city) Libreville

Official languages French
Demonym Gabonese
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For other uses, see Vichy (disambiguation).
Vichy France, or the Vichy regime, was the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944. It succeeded the Third Republic.
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June 16 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1910s  1920s  1930s  - 1940s -  1950s  1960s  1970s
1937 1938 1939 - 1940 - 1941 1942 1943

Year 1940 (MCMXL
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November 12 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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