French Guinea (Guinée française) was a French colonial possession in West Africa. Its borders, while changed over time, were in 1958 those of the current independent nation of Guinea. It was established by France in 1891, within the same borders as its previous colony known as 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, Cote d’Ivoire and Dahomey were separated into ‘independent’ colonies, with Rivières du Sud being renamed as the Colony of French Guinea. In 1895, French Guinea was made one of several dependent colonies and its Governor became one of several Lieutenant Governors who reported to a Governor-General in Dakar.
In 1904, this federation of colonies was formalised as French West Africa (Afrique-Occidentale Française). It became independent from France in 1958 following its voters’ rejection of Charles de Gaulle’s Constitution of 1958. At the time French Guinea was the only colony to reject the new constitution.
French Guinea became the modern-day country of Guinea.
- France & French Colony Stamps
- French Colonies Stamp Group
- French Stamps – Timbres Français
- Stamps of the French Colonies
- Stamp Thing – France and Colonies
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