France and the African Diaspora?

Hi All! Welcome to the first real post on my Diaspora blog.

The French legacy in Africa is one of brutal colonialism. During the 19th and 20th centuries the French expanded their colonial control to nearly all of northwestern Africa. By the 1920’s the French empire in Africa had swelled to include present day Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Niger and Algeria. At its peak, the French empire was the second largest empire in the world, second only to the British Empire, and consisted of more than 8% of the Earth’s total land mass.

The African Diaspora in France grew out of this substantial colonial legacy. Throughout the 19th and 20th century millions of Africans migrated to central France. Thousands of Africans fought for the Allies during the First and Second World War, and hundreds of thousands more emigrated to escape the chaos of crumbling French colonial control in the 20th century. These millions of Africans brought their food, languages, art, music, and cultural history to France. French culture is now intertwined with African culture.

When people think of the African Diaspora they don’t always like of Western Europe, specifically France. But this conventional wisdom is wrong. As of 2010, an estimated 5% of the French population is of direct North African descent. That’s nearly 3.5 million people. African culture and history thrives throughout Europe and France.

I chose France as my country because there is such a rich history between France and Africa. The relationship between the two places is complex but fascinating. Over the last 200 years the colonial dynamic between France and Africa has certainly spawned violence and suffering but it has also fostered great beauty and art. France is a beautiful country and so much more then the stereotypical image of baguettes and the Eifel tower. I think but exploring France bit by bit we can uncover all that the country has to offer. I’ll explore France in great detail in the weeks to come. Next week it’s government in France. Its history, legacy, and how it works today. I know you all are excited for that. Get ready.



Below are the map and flag of France along with some pictures from France and its colonies. Enjoy!

France 

Image taken from a Belgian textbook. It is meant to celebrate
the many cultures that made up the French empire in the 19th and 20th centuries.

French Colonial Holdings by 1911

                           Sources: 

                                      1. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html

                                      2. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/K-12/French_16178.html 

                                      3. http://automaticballpoint.com/2010/02/04/for-love-of-country-part-iii/

                                      4. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3842.htm#profile