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 independent nation of Guinea.
French Guinea was established in 1891, taking the same borders as the previous colony of 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, Coted'Ivoire and Dahomey were separated into 'independent' colonies, with Rivières du Sud being renamed the Colony of French Guinea. In 1895, French Guinea was made a dependent colony, and its Governor then became a Lieutenant Governor to a Governor-General in Dakar. In 1904, this was formalised into the Afrique Occidentale Française. French Guinea, along with Senegal, Dahomey, Cote-d'Ivoire and Upper Senegal and Niger each were ruled by a lieutenant governor, under the Governor General in Dakar.
Read more about French Guinea: Colonial History
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