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French Community
French Community established in 1958 by the constitution of the Fifth French Republic to replace the French Union . Its members consisted of the French Republic, which included metropolitan France (continental France, Corsica, Algeria and the Sahara), the overseas territories (Comoro Islands, French Polynesia, the Territory of the Afars and the Issas, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French Southern and Antarctic territories, and the Wallis and Futuna Islands), the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion), and six independent African republics (the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Malagasy Republic, and Senegal). The member states were self-governing but were represented through the institutions of the Community in matters of common interest: foreign policy, defense, economic and financial policy, policy on strategic raw materials, supervision of courts, higher education, and communications. In 1962 the metropolitan departments of Algeria and the Sahara became the sovereign state of Algeria and ceased to be part of the Community. After 1962, the Community operated primarily through bilateral agreements in the areas of military, economic, technical, and cultural affairs between the French Republic and other members. However, as the former French African possessions evolved their own political and economic structures, the French Community became largely defunct, although it was not formally abolished. |
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Cite this article
"French Community." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "French Community." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchCom.html "French Community." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchCom.html |
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French Community
French Community (Communauté Française) (1958–60) A successor to the French Union, it consisted of France and most of her west African colonies. The latter gained considerable self-government, though France remained responsible for foreign, economic, and financial policies, as well as for defence. It proved to be short-lived, and it ceased to be effective when its African members gained independence. However, it still exists in name, and its members have sought close cultural and economic links with France on an individual basis, e.g. through linking their currencies to the French franc (since 1999 the euro).
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Cite this article
JAN PALMOWSKI. "French Community." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "French Community." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-FrenchCommunity.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "French Community." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-FrenchCommunity.html |
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French Community
French Community A political union superseding the French Union, established by France in 1958 and comprising metropolitan France, its overseas departments and territories, and seven former French colonies in Africa, namely, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, and Senegal.
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Cite this article
"French Community." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "French Community." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-FrenchCommunity.html "French Community." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-FrenchCommunity.html |
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