Author: James Gavin

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it gained full independence on 5 August 1960. The country was renamed Burkina Faso on 4 August 1984. L

Benin, officially the Republic of Benin (République du Bénin), and formerly known as Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. This region was referred to as the Slave Coast from as early as the 17th century due to the large number of enslaved people who were shipped to the New World…

The Republic of Dahomey (République du Dahomey) was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On August 1, 1960, it attained full independence from France. In 1975, the country was…

The Gambia Colony and Protectorate was the British colonial administration of the Gambia from 1821 to 1965, part of the British Empire in the New Imperialism era. The colony was the immediate area surrounding Bathurst (now Banjul), and the protectorate was the inland territory situated around the Gambia River, which…

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. The Gambia shares historical roots with many other West African nations in the slave trade, which was the key factor in the placing and keeping of a colony on the Gambia River, first by the Portuguese,…

Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal) is a country in West Africa. It is a unitary presidential republic and is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north.…

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali) is a landlocked country in West Africa. Present-day Mali was once part of three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire (for which Ghana is named), the Mali Empire (for which Mali is named), and the Songhai Empire.…

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) or officially the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, is a country located on the south coast of West Africa. Ivory Coast’s political capital is Yamoussoukro in the centre of the country, while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan. Before its colonization…