France has the greatest influence in Africa. How did France do it?

Most African countries imitate or follow the French political system, and even use French as the mainstream language, which started with the establishment of the French Empire in Africa.

/kloc-In the 6th century, due to the monopoly of Spanish colonists in Central and South America and the civil strife caused by the defeat in the French religious war, the French people realized the importance of expanding their colonies overseas.

As French navigators opened up new routes, more and more French people sailed in Newfoundland (now located in Canada), and the prelude of French colonial expansion began.

▲ 1750 French colonial territory in North America. They named this new fertile land "New France".

1624, on the coast of Senegal in West Africa, France established the first trading post in Africa.

Since Algeria, France has been infiltrating from north to south, and plans to establish colonial hegemony in North Africa, West Africa and even Africa as a whole.

▲ Algiers, the capital of Algeria, the arrival of the French marshal attracted local people to stop and watch.

In the period after the Franco-Prussian War, the colonial empire of France expanded unprecedentedly. In North Africa, the French started from Algeria, divided their spheres of influence around Tunisia, Libya and other countries, and turned Morocco into their own vassal state.

In Central Africa and West Africa, most countries are also included in France's sphere of influence. Even the long and narrow coast of Djibouti in East Africa cannot escape the palm of France's hand.

▲ 1895, the giant colony "French West Africa" was formally established, and the picture shows the green area. The dark gray and light gray areas in the picture are the French mainland and other French colonies in Africa.

From being too busy to intensive cultivation, France and Africa, the "neighbors" facing each other across the sea, were bound together without warning in the course of history. This is doomed, and telling it to the judge in the flow of time will bring immeasurable far-reaching influence.

▲ The 1960s and 1970s were the climax of the African liberation movement.

Although African colonies have left "Big Brother" one after another, decades of ruling ties still invisibly link France and Africa. Due to the heavy losses in World War II, France once opened its doors to immigrants and injected fresh blood to support post-war reconstruction.

Africa, a large number of French colonial countries, has become an important source country for new French immigrants. In order to seek a better living environment, local people immigrated to France by virtue of their advantages in language, law and culture. At present, many black French players we know are the second or third generation descendants of these immigrants. With the participation of African immigrants, France can still have an extraordinary impact on Africa in the post-colonial era.

▲ The French film "Out of Reach" changed by real events tells the profound friendship between a black nurse and a white employer.

At present, millions of African-Americans live in France, accounting for about 7% of the French population. Most of them became French citizens under the invisible influence of France. And this effect continues to ferment.

The biennial summit of French-speaking countries was held in the 1980s, aiming at maintaining the status of French-speaking countries in the world and enhancing their right to speak in the world. In this grand gathering led by France, African countries accounted for the vast majority of participating countries, which shows that France's influence on Africa is still remarkable.

In addition, the franc also plays a huge role in Africa. With its own finance and foreign exchange as the guarantee, France stipulated that 1 French franc was equal to 100 CFA franc, and promoted CFA franc to become an international convertible currency. Up to now, 14 African countries have joined this program.

Such a monetary system is a win-win situation for France and Africa. On the one hand, the value of the franc is relatively stable, and these countries can circulate at will, and their high reputation has attracted more investors' favor; On the other hand, the passage of French francs in these countries has greatly strengthened France's economic influence on Africa.

▲ West African franc notes with a face value of 500

Since France landed in Africa in the17th century, it seems that their fates are closely linked. Whether in the colonial era or the post-colonial era, France and Africa are constantly interpreting stories that are hard to give up.