French Somaliland

French Somaliland
Côte Française des Somalis
Dhulka Soomaaliyeed ee Faransiiska
Colony (1896–1946)
Overseas territory (1946–1967)
1896–1967
(71 years)
Flag
Anthem
La Marseillaise  •  Djibouti
(instrumental only)
French Somaliland in 1922
Capital Djibouti
Languages French, Somali, Afar, Arabic
Religion Christianity, Islam
Demonym Somali
French Somali
Government Dependent territory
Governor
 • 1896–1899 Léonce Lagarde
 • 1966–1967 Louis Saget
Historical era New Imperialism
 •  Established May 20, 1896
 • Italian invasion June 18, 1940
 • British occupation December 28, 1942
 • Status changed to overseas territory October 27, 1946
 •  Renamed July 5, 1967
(71 years)
Area
 •  1963 23,200 km2 (9,000 sq mi)
Population
 •  1963 est. 165,000 
     Density 7/km2 (18/sq mi)
Currency French franc
(1896–1949)
French Somaliland franc
(1949–1967)
 Succeeded by
French Territory of the Afars and the Issas
Today part of  Djibouti
Part of a series on the
History of Djibouti
Prehistory
Antiquity
Middle Ages
Colonial period
Modern period
Republic of Djibouti
Djibouti portal

French Somaliland (French: Côte française des Somalis, lit. "French Coast of Somalis"; Somali: Dhulka Soomaaliyeed ee Faransiiska) was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. It existed between 1883 and 1967.

History

It was established between 1883 and 1887, after the ruling Somali and Afar sultans signed the land away in various treaties with the French.[1][2][3] The name of French Somaliland , “Cote Francaise des Somalis” is said to have been proposed by Mohamed Haji Dide of the Mahad 'Ase branch of the Gadabuursi. He himself before the arrival of the French was prosperous merchant of Zayla and the sultan. He came on to build the first Mosque in Djibouti "Gami ar-Rahma" in 1891.[4][5][6]

Map of French Somaliland, modern-day Djibouti, showing the French possession of a small peninsula in the Aden territory

The construction of the Imperial Ethiopian Railway west into Ethiopia turned the port of Djibouti into a boomtown of 15,000[7] at a time when Harar was the only city in Ethiopia to exceed that.[8]

Although the population fell after the completion of the line to Dire Dawa and the original company failed and required a government bail-out, the rail link allowed the territory to quickly supersede the caravan-based trade carried on at Zeila[9] (then in the British area of Somaliland) and become the premier port for coffee and other goods leaving southern Ethiopia and the Ogaden through Harar.

The railway continued to operate following the Italian conquest of Ethiopia but, following the tumult of the Second World War, the area became an overseas territory of France in 1946. In 1967, French Somaliland was renamed the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas and, in 1977, it became the independent country of Djibouti.

See also

References

  1. ↑  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Somaliland: French Somaliland". Encyclopædia Britannica. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 383.
  2. ↑ Raph Uwechue, Africa year book and who's who, (Africa Journal Ltd.: 1977), p. 209 ISBN 0903274051.
  3. ↑ A Political Chronology of Africa, (Taylor & Francis: 2001), p. 132 ISBN 1857431162.
  4. ↑ Rayne, Henry a (2015-08-08). Sun, Sand and Somals; Leaves from the Note-Book of a District Commissioner in British Somaliland. BiblioLife. ISBN 9781297569760.
  5. ↑ Farah, Rachad (2013-09-01). Un embajador en el centro de los acontecimientos (in Spanish). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 17. ISBN 9782336321356.
  6. ↑ As indicated in Morin (2005:640) the name of “Cote francaise des Somalis” itself is said to have been proposed by hağği Diideh http://ediss.sub.uni-hamburg.de/volltexte/2011/5127/pdf/Yas_Diss_2010.pdf page 92
  7. ↑ " Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Jibuti". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 414.
  8. ↑  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abyssinia". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 86.
  9. ↑ " Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Zaila". Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 950.

Further reading

Coordinates: 11°36′N 43°10′E / 11.600°N 43.167°E / 11.600; 43.167

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