French Dahomey

Colony of Dahomey and Dependencies
Colonie du Dahomey et dépendances
French colony
1904–1958
Flag
Anthem La Marseillaise  •  L'Aube Nouvelle (instrumental only)
Dark green: French Dahomey Lime: Rest of French West Africa Dark gray: Other French possessions Darkest gray: French Republic
Capital		Porto-Novo
Languages		French (official) Bariba, Fon, Fula, Yoruba
Political structure		Colony
History
•	Colonised	1872
•	French West Africa	1904
•	French Union	4 September 1947
•	French Community	11 December 1958
•	Independence	1 August 1960
Currency		French West African franc CFA franc
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Dahomey Republic of Dahomey
Today part of		Benin

Flag

French Dahomey was a French colony of and a part of French West Africa from 1904 to 1958. After World War II, by the establishment of the French Fourth Republic in 1947, Dahomey became part of the French Union with an increased autonomy. On 11 December 1958, the French Fifth Republic was established and the French Union became the French Community. The colony became the self-governing Republic of Dahomey within the Community, and two years later on 1 August 1960 it gained full independence (and in 1975 changed its name to Benin).

During the 13th century, the indigenous Edo people of the west Niger area were run by a group of local chieftains, but by the 15th century a single ruler known as the 'oba' had asserted control, creating the Kingdom of Dahomey. Under the dynasty established by Ewuare the Great, the most famous of the obas, Dahoney's territory expanded to cover a region between the Niger River delta and what is now the Nigerian city of Lagos. The obas brought great prosperity and a highly organized state to Benin. They also established good relations and an extensive slave trade with the Portuguese and Dutch who arrived from the 15th century onwards.