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This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia. (September 2011) Don't speak French? Click here to read a machine-translated version of the French article. Click [show] on the right to review important translation instructions before translating. Google's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. After translating, {{Translated|fr|Soudan français}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Soudan français French Sudan Constituent of French West Africa ←   ← 1890 - 1902 1920 - 1959 →   → Flag Location of Sudan Green: French Sudan Lime: French West Africa Dark gray: Other French possessions Darkest gray: French Republic Capital Bamako¹ Historical era New Imperialism  - Established 18 August 1890  - Partial dissolution 10 October 1899  - Senegambia and Niger 1902  - Recreated 1920  - Autonomy 28 November 1958  - Federated with Senegal 4 April 1959 Area  - 1959 1,241,238 km2 (479,245 sq mi) Population  - 1959 4,407,000       Density 3.6 /km2  (9.2 /sq mi) ¹ Kayes (1892-1899)

French Sudan (French: Soudan) was a colony in French West Africa that had two separate periods of existence, first from 1890 to 1899, then from 1920 to 1960, when the territory became the independent nation of Mali.

Colonial establishment [link]

French Sudan was created as a French territory on 9 September 1880, as "Upper Senegal", and was renamed the "French Sudan Territory" on 18 August 1890, with its capital at Kayes. On 10 October 1899, French Sudan was broken up; 11 southern provinces went to French Guinea, the Côte d'Ivoire and Dahomey, although two were returned in the following year.

In 1902 the parts of the colony not organized into military districts became Senegambia and Niger, then Upper Senegal and Niger in 1904, then the old name came back in a reorganization of 1920.

When the French Upper Volta was first abolished in 1933 (it was reestablished in 1947), French Sudan gained some of its provinces.

Independence [link]

After the French constitutional referendum of 4 October 1958, the "République Soudanaise" became a member of the French Community, once again with the name French Sudan, and gained complete internal autonomy 25 November 1958.

On 4 April 1959, French Sudan was joined with Senegal to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent within the French Community on 20 June 1960. The federation collapsed on 20 August 1960, when Senegal seceded. On 22 September, French Sudan proclaimed itself the Republic of Mali and withdrew from the French Community.

See also [link]

• Sudan (region): the sudan or soudan (French) climate region, of which French Soudan formed the western part.
• French colonial empire
• List of French possessions and colonies
• French West Africa

Further reading [link]

• Joseph Roger de Benoist, Église et pouvoir colonial au Soudan français: les relations entre les administrateurs et les missionnaires catholiques dans la Boucle du Niger, de 1885 à 1945. 539 p. Karthala, 1987 ISBN 978-2-86537-169-3
• Georges Spitz, Le Soudan français, Éditions maritimes et coloniales, 1955, 111 p.

v t e French overseas empire Former v t e Former French colonies in Africa and the Indian Ocean Maghreb Algeria Morocco Arguin Island Tunisia French West Africa Côte d'Ivoire Dahomey French Sudan Guinea Mauritania Niger Senegal Upper Volta   French Togoland James Island Albreda French Equatorial Africa Chad Gabon Middle Congo Ubangi-Shari French Cameroons French Comoros Anjouan Grande Comore Mohéli   French Somaliland (Djibouti) Madagascar Ile de France French Seychelles v t e Former French colonies in the Americas New France 1655–1763 Acadia Louisiana Canada Terre Neuve Inini Berbice Saint-Domingue Haiti Tobago Virgin Islands France Antarctique Equinoctial France French West India Company v t e Former French colonies in Asia and Oceania French India Chandernagor Coromandel Coast Madras Mahé Pondichéry Karaikal Yanaon Indochinese Union Cambodia Laos Vietnam Annam Cochinchina Tonkin Kouang-Tchéou-Wan, China French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon State of Syria Aleppo Damascus Alawite State Greater Lebanon Jabal al-Druze Sanjak of Alexandretta Oceania New Hebrides Vanuatu France–Asia relations French East India Company Present v t e Overseas departments and territories of France   Inhabited areas Overseas departments1 French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Réunion Mayotte2 Overseas collectivities French Polynesia St. Barthélemy St. Martin St. Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna Special status New Caledonia   Uninhabited areas Pacific Ocean Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands Île Amsterdam Île Saint-Paul Crozet Islands Kerguelen Islands Adélie Land Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean Banc du Geyser4 Bassas da India4 Europa Island4 Glorioso Islands3, 4, 5 Juan de Nova Island4 Tromelin Island4, 5 1 Also known as overseas regions 2 Claimed by Comoros 3 Claimed by Madagascar 4 Claimed by Seychelles 5 Claimed by Mauritius

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