75-1059: African Convention (French: Convention Africaine , CA ) was a political party in French West Africa , originally formed at a meeting in Dakar on 11 January 1957. The CA consisted of the Senegalese Popular Bloc (BPS) of Léopold Sédar Senghor , the African Popular Movement of Nazi Boni in Upper Volta , and the Nigerien Democratic Front (FDN) of Zodi Ikhia in Niger. In the 1957 territorial assembly elections, CA member parties won 96 seats. CA won in Senegal, and gained presence in three other assemblies. In March 1958
150-714: A Grand Council of French West Africa was created in Dakar. Two representatives from each colony, usually the Lieutenant Governor and a representative of the French population there, were seated. This council had only consultative powers over the office of the Governor General. The functioning of such bodies rested upon the Indigénat legal code of 1885. Despite this state of flux, and with the exception of
225-544: A Wolof word for "pasture". Saint-Louis is situated in northern Senegal , on the border with Mauritania , although the nearest border crossing is at Rosso , 100 km (62 mi) up the Senegal River. The heart of the old colonial city is located on a narrow island a little more than 2 km (1.2 mi) long but only about 400 m (1,300 ft) wide. The island lies in the Senegal River . It
300-474: A definitive series depicting colonial soldiers, both in 1945. A series of 1947 featured 19 scenes and people of the various colonies, then during the 1950s there were about 30 various commemoratives . The last issue inscribed "Afrique occidentale française" and "RF" was the Human Rights issue of December 1958. It was followed by a Stamp Day issue on 21 March 1959, which omitted the federation's name and
375-507: A commercial center, sugar production, and fishing. The tourism industry is in part due to the city being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. However, the city is also vulnerable to climate change —where sea level rise is expected to threaten the city center and potential damage historical parts of the city; according to a Senegalese government study, up to 80% of the city could be at risk of flooding by 2080. Moreover, other issues such as overfishing are causing ripple effects in
450-733: A deputy to represent them in the French parliament in 1848–1852, 1871–1876, and 1879–1940. In 1914, the first African, Blaise Diagne , was elected as the deputy for Senegal in the French Parliament. In 1916, Diagne pushed a law through the National Assembly (loi Blaise Diagne) granting full citizenship to all residents of the so-called Four Communes. In return, he promised to help recruit millions of Africans to fight in World War I. Thereafter, all black Africans of Dakar , Gorée , Saint-Louis , and Rufisque could vote to send
525-525: A dozen kilometers south of the city of Saint-Louis, this reserve has an area of 7 square kilometres and shelters birds and endangered species such as the dama gazelle , the Patas monkey and the African spurred tortoise . Saint-Louis has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). It only has two seasons, the rainy season from June to October, characterized by heat, humidity and storms, and
600-546: A large part of West Africa. Criterion IV The Island of Saint-Louis, a former capital of West Africa, is an outstanding example of a colonial city, characterized by its particular natural setting, and it illustrates the development of colonial government in this region. Among interesting and attractive monuments and edifices are the Governor's Palace, the Gouvernance where are located the town's administrative offices,
675-1012: A million slaves in French West Africa fled from their masters to earlier homes. After the Fall of France in June 1940 and the two battles of Dakar against the Free French Forces in July and September 1940, authorities in West Africa declared allegiance to the Vichy regime , as did the colony of French Gabon in AEF. Gabon fell to Free France after the Battle of Gabon in November 1940, but West Africa remained under Vichy control until
750-480: A new generation of French-educated Africans. On 21 October 1945 six Africans were elected, the Four Communes citizens chose Lamine Guèye , Senegal/Mauritania Léopold Sédar Senghor , Ivory Coast/Upper Volta Félix Houphouët-Boigny , Dahomey/Togo Sourou-Migan Apithy , Soudan-Niger Fily Dabo Sissoko , and Guinea Yacine Diallo . They were all re-elected to the 2nd Constituent Assembly on 2 June 1946. In 1946,
825-556: A political party in Senegal is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . French West Africa French West Africa ( French : Afrique-Occidentale française , AOF ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa : Mauritania , Senegal , French Sudan (now Mali ), French Guinea (now Guinea ), Ivory Coast , Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso ), Dahomey (now Benin ) and Niger . The federation existed from 1895 until 1958. Its capital
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#1732772897299900-503: A representative to the French National Assembly. As the French pursued their part in the scramble for Africa in the 1880s and 1890s, they conquered large inland areas, and at first, ruled them as either a part of the Senegal colony or as independent entities. These conquered areas were usually governed by French Army officers, and dubbed "military territories". In the late 1890s, the French government began to rein in
975-506: A union of Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea and Ivory Coast only, the federation was placed on a permanent footing in 1904. A governor-general was based first in Saint-Louis , then (from 1902) in Dakar (both in Senegal, the oldest French settlement). The AOF subsequently expanded to neighbouring French-ruled territories: Dahomey was added in 1904, after having been put under colonial tutelage in 1892; Mauritania in 1920, and when
1050-516: Is 25 km (16 mi) north of its mouth, but is only separated from the Atlantic Ocean to its west by the Langue de Barbarie , a 300 m (980 ft) wide sand spit . The Langue de Barbarie is the location of the seaside neighborhoods Ndar Toute and Guet Ndar. On the mainland, the east bank of the river is the site of Sor, an older settlement now considered a suburb of Saint-Louis. It
1125-513: Is gradually reviving. The city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and cultural tourism has become an engine of growth. As a result, a process of gentrification has set in, with many historic buildings on the island being turned into restaurants and hotels. Beyond tourism, Saint-Louis is also a commercial and an industrial centre for sugar production. Its other economic activities are fishing, irrigated alluvial agriculture, pastoral farming, trading and exportation of peanut skins. It
1200-482: Is important to note that each of these economic activities is assured by a particular ethnic group. The Wolofs and Lebous who are the main inhabitants of Saint-Louis are mostly fishermen that live in fishing communities like Guet-Ndar on the Langue de Barbarie. The Fulas live in the inland and practice pastoral farming. The Maures who are migrants from Mauritania (Saint-Louis is less than 10 kilometres or 6 miles south of
1275-563: Is nearly surrounded by tidal marshes . Three characteristics give Saint-Louis its distinctive geographic appearance: the Sahel , the marshes and the Langue de Barbarie. Part of the Sahel, a transitional desertic band that separates "[...] the dunes of the Sahara from the baobabs of the savanna", Saint-Louis' landscape is characterized by occasional acacias and is disturbed by sand storms during
1350-704: The Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942. Following World War II, the French government began a process of extending limited political rights in its colonies. In 1945 the French Provisional Government allocated ten seats to French West Africa in the new Constituent Assembly called to write a new French Constitution . Of these five would be elected by citizens (which only in the Four Communes could an African hope to win) and five by African subjects. The elections brought to prominence
1425-849: The French Army . World War II, and the passing of the Loi Cadre ( Overseas Reform Act of 1956 ), both radically restructured the administration of the colonies. French Togoland , seized by France from Germany in World War I, was for most of this period not nominally a colony but a Mandate territory . In theory, the Governors-General of the AOF reported directly to the Minister of Colonies in Paris, while individual colonies and territories reported only to Dakar. Originally created in 1895 as
1500-629: The French Fifth Republic of 1958 again changed the structure of the colonies from the French Union to the French Community . Each territory was to become a "Protectorate", with the consultative assembly named a National Assembly. The Governor appointed by the French was renamed the "High Commissioner", and made head of state of each territory. The Assembly would name an African as Head of Government with advisory powers to
1575-1060: The Loi Lamine Guèye granted some limited citizenship rights to natives of the African colonies. The French Empire was renamed the French Union on 27 October 1946, when the new constitution of the Fourth Republic was established. In late 1946 under this new constitution, each territory was for the first time (excepting the Four Communes) able to elect local representatives, albeit on a limited franchise, to newly established General Councils. These elected bodies had only limited consultative powers, although they did approve local budgets. The Loi Cadre of 23 June 1956 brought universal suffrage to elections held after that date in all French African colonies. The first elections under universal suffrage in French West Africa were
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#17327728972991650-675: The Precepteur du marché trade inspectors, etc. Because of administrative practice and geographic isolation, Cercle Commanders had a tremendous amount of power over the lives of the Africans around them. The Cercle Commanders also had tremendous power over the economic and political life of their territories. Legally, all Africans outside the Four Communes of Senegal were "subjects" under the Indigénat legal code of 1885. This code gave summary powers to French administrators, including
1725-463: The "little branch" of the river, between Ndar Island and the Langue de Barbarie. The Magal of the Niari Rakas, a yearly commemoration of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké 's (the founder of Mouridism) two prayers in the Governor's Palace in 1895, is the city's largest religious gathering. Saint-Louis' characteristic colonial architecture along with its regular town plan, its location on an island at
1800-435: The 17th and 18th centuries. The Métis were important to the economic, social, cultural and political life of the city. They created a distinctive urban culture characterized by public displays of elegance, refined entertainment and popular festivities. They controlled most of the up-country river trade and they financed the principal Catholic institutions. A Métis mayor was first designated by the Governor in 1778. Civic franchise
1875-442: The 1950s local groups had adopted a "Cuban" sound. Another music festival, 1, 2, 3 musiques, exhibits various genres of music. The Festival Métissons, held for the first time in 2010, is a grassroots music festival organized by local communities and small businesses. Every edition sports international, national and local musical talent. The annual reggata, or pirogue race organized by teams of fishermen from Guet-Ndar, takes place on
1950-663: The AOF in conjunction with officers of the French Colonial Forces . Each colony of French West Africa was administered by a Lieutenant Governor, responsible to the Governor General in Dakar. Only the Governor-General received orders from Paris, via the Minister of Colonies . The Minister, with the approval of the French Chamber of Deputies ( French National Assembly after 1946), chose Lieutenants Governor and Governors-General. Beginning in 1946,
2025-735: The African Convention and the African Socialist Movement (MSA) merged to form the African Regroupment Party (PRA). This article about a Burkinabè political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a political party in France is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a political party in Niger is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
2100-695: The British during the Napoleonic Wars , and returned to France in 1817. Facing a near-total dependence on gum, the French authorities tried to promote plantation agriculture in Waalo from 1819 to 1830, but this failed. At the same time, Saint Louis grew massively during this period in both population in commercial activity. Throughout the 19th century, the French periodically warred with the Emirate of Trarza and other Hassani tribal states, which disrupted
2175-659: The French Community to unilaterally change their own constitutions. Senegal and former French Sudan became the Mali Federation (1960–61), while Ivory Coast, Niger, Upper Volta and Dahomey subsequently formed the short-lived Sahel-Benin Union , later the Conseil de l'Entente . The administrative structure of French colonial possessions in West Africa, while more homogeneous than neighboring British possessions ,
2250-406: The French authorities started to enforce anti-slavery laws against indigenous slave owners in territories under French control due to pressure from French abolitionists: the laws against slave trade were enforced, and fugitive slaves were not returned to their owners. In 1905, the French officially abolished slavery in most of French West Africa. From 1906 to 1911, as emancipation progressed, over
2325-535: The French found in the coastal areas of the Rivières du Sud colony in the 1880s, modern Guinea. The Canton, then, was much smaller than, and qualitatively different from, the pre-colonial states of the Sahel (such as the Toucouleur Empire ) which the French would later conquer. They were styled "Chefs de canton", "Chefs du Village", or occasionally taking the title of precolonial states assimilated by
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2400-423: The French structure whole. This last was uncommon, but became more prevalent in the later colonial territories conquered, as fewer administrators were available to rule over larger, less populated territories with strong pre-colonial state structures. Where these larger polities resisted the French, they were often broken into small chiefdoms. Larger polities which presented a segment of the elite who would work with
2475-508: The French were maintained under new leadership. The Sultan of Agadez , the Sultan of Damagaram , and the Djermakoy of Dosso are examples of these large scale "Chefs de canton". But even these rulers were replaced by individuals handpicked by French authorities. Regardless of source, chiefs were given the right to arm small numbers of guards and made responsible for the collection of taxes,
2550-555: The French-educated lawyer Lamine Guèye , died in 1968, the city lost its strongest proponent. Since 1993, the city has hosted the Saint Louis Jazz Festival , a major tourist draw. Between 2016 and 2017, Saint-Louis experienced a large decline in the catch of fish brought in, causing ripple effects on nutrition and food supply in the country, where 75% of animal protein comes from fish. Fisherman from
2625-599: The Head of State. Legally, the federation ceased to exist after the 1958 French constitutional referendum to approve this French Community. All the colonies except Guinea voted to remain in the new structure. Guineans voted overwhelmingly for independence. In 1960, a further revision of the French constitution, compelled by the failure of the French Indochina War and the tensions in Algeria , allowed members of
2700-542: The Kingdom of God . With a large influence over education in colonial times, Saint Louis is now a center of educational excellence. It is home to the Gaston Berger University and The Military Academy Charles Ntchorere. Gaston Berger University, created in 1990, offers studies organized in a number of general education and research faculties. The Military Academy Charles Ntchorere, commonly known as
2775-700: The Military structure (outside Military areas, e.g.: modern Niger and Mauritania prior to the Second World War). Below the "Cercle Commander" were a series of African "Chefs de canton" and "Chefs du Village": "chiefs" appointed by the French and subject to removal by the Europeans. As well, the "Cercle Commander" made use of a large number of servants, employees, and African officers such as the "Gardes-de-cercle" police, any military units seconded to them by government authorities, and sub-administrators such as
2850-711: The National Park of the Langue de Barbarie, the National Park of the Birds of Djoudj , the Fauna Reserve of Gueumbeul, beaches like that of the Langue de Barbarie , the colonial waterworks at Makhana, the palace of Baron Roger [ fr ] at Richard-Toll , the Diama Dam , and various hunting lodges on the south side of the Senegal River. This park, which is 20 square kilometres large, occupies
2925-724: The Parc Faidherbe named for the French governor at the centre of town Louis Faidherbe , colonial-era hotels, the historic airport at Dakar-Bango on the mainland, the Faidherbe Bridge that connects the island to the Langue de Barbarie and the Gaol and Servatius bridges that connect the island to the continent. The places of worship are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Louis du Sénégal ( Catholic Church ), Assemblies of God , Universal Church of
3000-425: The Senegalese Communes, the administrative structure of French rule at the lower levels remained constant, based upon the Cercle system. This was the smallest unit of French political administration in French colonial Africa that was headed by a European officer. They might range in size, but French Sudan (modern Mali) consisted of less than a dozen Cercles for most of its existence. Thus, a Cercle Commander might be
3075-404: The absolute authority over hundreds of thousands of Africans. A Cercle consisted of several cantons , each of which in turn consisted of several villages, and was almost universal in France's African colonies from 1895 to 1946. The "Cercle Commander" (" commandant de cercle ") was subject to the authority of a District Commander, and the government of the colony above him, but was independent of
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3150-414: The age of the steamship and the completion of the Dakar-Saint Louis railroad in 1885 meant that up-country trade effectively circumvented its port. Large French firms, many from the city of Bordeaux , took over the new commercial networks of the interior, marginalizing the Métis traders in the process. Saint-Louis nonetheless maintained its status as capital of the Colony of Senegal even after Dakar assumed
3225-410: The area over the next two centuries but the first nearby colonial fortification was erected by the French in 1638 on Bocos Island , about 25 km (16 mi) away. Repeated flooding prompted the removal of the fort to the island known to locals as Ndar in 1659. The island was uninhabited at the time, supposedly because the local people believed it to be haunted by spirits. The Diagne of Sor,
3300-531: The border with Mauritania) are mostly merchants, traders and shopkeepers found everywhere in Saint Louis. Culture constitutes an important part of Saint-Louis' economy. The city preserves much of its 19th-century morphology, reminiscent of other cities of the "Creole Atlantic": Bahia , Cartagena , Havana and New Orleans . Thanks to its distinctive appearance, numerous sites of attraction and its international music festivals and cultural exhibitions, Saint-Louis attracts many tourists each year. Saint-Louis remains
3375-476: The city's many festivals and its cultivated sense of public display, and it is helping Saint-Louis emerge from decades of neglect. "Fanals", which are night-time processions of giant paper lanterns, take place at Christmas time. The Saint-Louis Jazz Festival is the most important jazz festival in Africa. Jazz first became popular in the 1930s when records produced in Cuba were aired on the radio. After World War II , visiting U.S. GIs popularized jazz bands and by
3450-507: The community spend twice as much time for catching smaller hauls, and are now competing with foreign fishing vessels. Rising sea levels, as well as water levels flowing out of the Senegal River now threaten the low-lying islands which make up the city. An ill-fated 2003 canal project exacerbated flooding issues, leading to submerged neighborhoods. In June 2008, Alioune Badiane of the United Nations ' UN-Habitat agency designated Saint-Louis as "the city most threatened by rising sea levels in
3525-446: The country, Saint-Louis slipped into a state of lethargy. As its French population and military departed, many of the town's shops, offices and businesses closed. The loss of jobs, human potential, and investment caused its economic decline. The loss of its past status meant less recognition and lack of interest from the colony's officials and, after Senegal's independence, from the Senegalese government. When its most famous political son,
3600-446: The depths of the Sahara , the Federation contained more than ten million inhabitants at its creation, and some 25 million at its dissolution. The AOF included all of the Senegal River valley, most of the Niger River valley, and most of the West African Sahel region. It also included tropical forests in Ivory Coast and Guinea, the Fouta Djallon highlands, and the Aïr Mountains of modern Niger. The French colonial territories in
3675-519: The dry season from November to May, characterized by cool ocean breeze and dust from the Harmattan winds. A 2011 documentary described Saint-Louis as the African city most threatened by rising sea levels . Flooding is becoming worse, and by 2080 80% of the city will face flood risks. A Wolof settlement at what is now known as Guet Ndar dates from around 1450 and was a meeting and departure point for Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca in Arabia . Portuguese , Dutch , and English traders visited
3750-512: The dry season. The marshes are flood basins that form during the rainy season when the river overflows into the countryside, creating ponds and stretches of mangroves that attract birds like flamingos and pelicans . The Langue de Barbarie , over a stretch of 25 km (16 mi), separates the lower Senegal River from the Atlantic Ocean. Its vegetation mainly consists of Filao trees , propagated to prevent soil erosion in sandy and salty soils. Among Saint-Louis' numerous natural sites are
3825-427: The federation issued their own postage stamps until 1943. In many cases the stamps were inscribed with the name of the federation " Afrique Occidentale Française " as well as the colony's own name. In 1943 and 1944, stamps of Senegal and Mauritania were overprinted with new values and valid throughout French West Africa. The first issues printed specifically for the federation were the Eboue common design type and
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#17327728972993900-422: The flow of gum. Nevertheless, with the removal of trade restrictions in 1848 and in 1853, exports soared. When war again broke out in 1854, the Arab Emirs forbade the Berber zwaya merchants from selling to the French, but this had little effect. In the 1855 Battle of Leybar Bridge a small force of French Marines defended the town from a large Trarza force. With the French victory in 1858, they were able to set
3975-399: The late 18th century, Saint-Louis had about 5,000 inhabitants, not counting an indeterminate number of slaves in transit. Between 1659 and 1779, nine chartered companies succeeded one another in administering Saint-Louis. As in Gorée , a Franco-African Creole, or Métis, merchant community characterized by the famous " signares ", or bourgeois women entrepreneurs, grew up in Saint-Louis during
4050-562: The law, property ownership rights, rights to travel, dissent, or vote. The exception was the Four Communes of Senegal: those areas had been towns of the tiny Senegal Colony in 1848 when, at the abolition of slavery by the French Second Republic , all residents of France were granted equal political rights. Anyone able to prove they were born in these towns was legally French. They could vote in parliamentary elections, which had been previously dominated by white and mixed-race residents of Senegal. The Four Communes of Senegal were entitled to elect
4125-418: The local economy. Saint Louis ( French : Saint-Louis ) is named after Louis IX , a canonized 13th-century king of France . Obliquely, the name also honored Louis XIV , the reigning king of France at the time of the island's settlement in 1659. It was originally known as Saint Louis of the Fort ( St-Louis-du-Fort ) after its stronghold and to distinguish it from other places of
4200-506: The local leader, permitted French settlement on the island for annual payments of "three pieces of blue cloth , a measure of scarlet cloth , seven long iron bars, and 10 pints of eau de vie ." The fortification permitted its factory to command foreign trade along the Senegal River . Slaves, gold, hides, beeswax, ambergris and, later, gum arabic were exported. During the Seven Years' War , British forces captured Senegal in 1758. In February 1779, French forces recaptured Saint-Louis. In
4275-404: The most characteristically French colonial destination in West Africa along with Gorée Island. Saint-Louis' Research Center and Documentation Museum of Senegal offers interesting panoramas of Senegal's history and ethnic movements over the years, expositions of traditional clothes and musical instruments, etc. Saint Louis is famous for its urban culture. The heritage of the signares lives on in
4350-481: The mouth of the Senegal River and the system of quays, gives Saint-Louis the distinctive appearance and identity that have raised the island to the rank of world heritage since 2000. The Island of Saint-Louis is inscribed on the World Heritage list on the basis of criteria II and IV: Criterion II The historic town of Saint-Louis exhibits an important exchange of values and influences on the development of education and culture, architecture, craftsmanship, and services in
4425-442: The municipal elections of late 1956. On 31 March 1957, under universal suffrage, territorial Assembly elections were held in each of the eight colonies (Togo as a UN trust Territory was at this stage on a different trajectory). The leaders of the winning parties were appointed to the newly instituted positions of Vice-Presidents of the respective Governing Councils — French Colonial Governors remained as Presidents. The Constitution of
4500-468: The recruitment of forced labour, and the enforcement of "customary law". In general, Canton Chiefs served at the behest of their Cercle Commander and were left to see to their own affairs as long as calm was maintained and Administrative orders were carried out. With an area of some 4,689,000 square kilometres (1,810,000 sq mi) (mostly the desert or semi-desert interior of Mauritania , Sudan and Niger ) extending from Africa's westernmost point to
4575-414: The restructuring of the people's lives he governed. The other official office particular to the local administration of French West Africa was the "Chief". These were Africans appointed by French officials for their loyalty to France, regardless of their rights to local power. These chiefs were assigned created territories based on the scale of a French Canton, as well as on the small scale tribal structures
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#17327728972994650-430: The rights to arrest, try, punish and imprison subjects. It also gave French local authorities the right to requisition forced labour, usually limited to able-bodied men for a few weeks a year, but in practice having few restrictions. These "tools" included the Civilizing mission ideology common in the period following the First World War. Every new Cercle Commander might well bring with him vast projects for development and
4725-595: The role of capital of the French West Africa federation. The colonial institutions set up in the city in the 19th century, such as the Muslim Tribunal and the School for Chiefs' Sons, were to play important roles in the history of French Africa. Though relatively small in size (population of 10,000 in 1826; 23,000 in 1914, and 39,000 in 1955) Saint-Louis dominated Senegalese politics throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, not least because of its numerous political parties and associations and its independent newspapers. Following independence, when Dakar became sole capital of
4800-428: The same name . The Langue de Barbarie takes its name from the French for "Barbary Tongue", after an old name for the land of the Berbers . The local name Ndar or N'dar is Wolof for a kind of island and has been borne by the island since before the French settlement. Ndar Tout or Toute is a Gallicized form of a Wolof name meaning "Little" or "Lesser Saint Louis". The neighborhood of Guet Ndar takes its name from
4875-514: The southern point of the Langue de Barbarie, the estuary of the Senegal river and part of the continent. It hosts thousands of water birds like cormorants, brushes, pink flamingos, pelicans, herons and ducks each year. The world's third largest ornithological park, it is located 60 kilometers north of Saint-Louis. This park occupies over 120 km and includes part of the river, and many lakes, basins, and marshes. About 3 million migrating birds of 400 species visit it each year. Located at
4950-592: The terms of trade on the river. Louis Faidherbe , who became the Governor of the Colony of Senegal in 1854, contributed greatly to the development and modernization of Saint Louis. His large-scale projects included the building of bridges, provisioning of fresh drinking water, and the construction of an overland telegraph line to Dakar . Saint-Louis became capital of the federation of French West African colonies in 1895, but relinquished this role to Dakar in 1902. Saint-Louis's fortunes began to wane as those of Dakar waxed. Access to its port became increasingly awkward in
5025-444: The territorial expansion of its "officers on the ground", and transferred all the territories west of Gabon to a single governor based in Senegal, reporting directly to the Minister of Overseas Affairs. The first governor-general of Senegal was named in 1895, and in 1904, the territories he oversaw were formally named French West Africa (AOF). Gabon would later become the seat of its own federation French Equatorial Africa (AEF), which
5100-432: The territory of Upper Volta was divided from French Sudan by colonial decree in 1921, it automatically also entered the AOF. Between 1934 and 1937, the League of Nations Mandate territory of French Togoland was subsumed into Dahomey, and between its seizure from Germany in World War I and independence it was administered through the AOF. In 1904, both Mauritania and Niger were classed "Military Territories": ruled by
5175-480: The whole of Africa", citing climate change and a failed 2004 river and tidal canal project as the cause. According to a Senegalese government study, up to 80% of the city could be at risk of flooding by 2080. As of 2020, the coast of the community has eroded by 1–2 meters a year. Saint Louis has economically declined since the transfer of the capital to Dakar, but has remained an important tourist and trading center. The city's economy, though not entirely recovered,
5250-444: Was Saint-Louis in Senegal until 1902, and then Dakar until the federation's collapse in 1960. With an area of 4,689,000 km , French West Africa was eight times the size of Metropolitan France . French Equatorial Africa had an additional area of 2,500,000 km . Until after World War II, almost none of the Africans living in the colonies of France were citizens of France. Rather, they were "French subjects," lacking rights before
5325-414: Was further consolidated in 1872, when Saint-Louis became a French "commune". After the decline of the Atlantic slave trade after 1790, the trade in gum arabic replaced it as the major economic engine of Saint Louis. Trade was increasingly concentrated in the lower river valley and the desert-side escales , rather than further upriver in Gajaaga as it had been previously. The city was again captured by
5400-480: Was inscribed "CF" along with "Dakar-Abidjan" for use in Ivory Coast and Senegal. Saint-Louis, Senegal Saint-Louis or Saint Louis ( Wolof : Ndar ), is the capital of Senegal 's Saint-Louis Region . Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River , and 320 kilometres (200 mi) north of Senegal's capital city Dakar . It had a population of 254,171 in 2023. Saint-Louis
5475-506: Was marked by variety and flux. Throughout the history of the AOF, individual colonies and military territories were reorganized numerous times, as was the Government General in Dakar. French Upper Volta was formed and parceled out to neighboring colonies twice. The future states of Mauritania and Niger remained out of the federation until the 1920s and 1940s respectively. They were Military Territories , directly controlled by
5550-428: Was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 until 1902 and French West Africa from 1895 until 1902, when the capital was moved to Dakar. From 1920 to 1957, it also served as the capital of the neighboring colony of Mauritania . The town was an important economic center during the period of French West Africa , but it is less important now. Nonetheless, it still has important industries, including tourism,
5625-460: Was to border its western neighbor on the modern boundary between Niger and Chad . France abolished slavery in French West Africa. This process was gradual. Slavery was formally illegal in all French land including their colonies from 1848, but this law only applied to French citizens in territories officially under French law, which meant that indigenous subjects without French citizenship were not obliged to obey. In French West Africa in 1903-1905,
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