Evolution of the French Empire

From the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire, at its peak in 1680, stretched over a total area of over 10,000,000 km2 (3,900,000 sq mi), the second largest empire in the world at the time behind only the Spanish Empire. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the French colonial empire was the second largest colonial empire in the world only behind the British Empire; it extended over 13,500,000 km2 (5,200,000 sq mi) of land at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. In terms of population however, on the eve of World War II, France and her colonial possessions totaled only 150 million inhabitants, compared with 330 million for British India alone. The total area of the French colonial empires combined (the first mainly in the Americas and Asia, and the second mainly in Africa and Asia) reached 24,000,000 km² (9,300,000 sq mi), the second largest in the world (after the British Empire).

This is a list of all territories that were part of the French colonial empires in the last 500 years, either entirely or in part, either under French sovereignty or as mandate or protectorate. When only a part of the country was under French rule, that part is listed in parentheses after the country. When there are no parentheses, it means the whole country was formerly part of any one of the French colonial empires. Countries listed are those where French sovereignty applied effectively. Areas that were only claimed, but not effectively controlled (such as Manhattan or Western Australia) are not listed.

N.B.

• "1st" means the country/territory was part of the first French colonial empire.
• "2nd" means the country/territory was part of the second French colonial empire.
• "Now" means this is a territory still part of the French Republic today.