Map Description

Historical Map of Africa — French Colonization.


Illustrating

• Morocco

• French territory

• Spanish territory

• British territory

• Italian territory

• Ottoman territory


Note: Ports placed in France-Spanish occupation by the Act of Algeciras, shown thus [...], and underlined in the colour of the Power in occupation.

The Act of Algeciras was the outcome of the Algeciras Conference, which took place from January 16 to April 7, 1906. This conference was convened to address the tensions surrounding the First Moroccan Crisis, which had been sparked by German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Tangier in 1905. The visit was intended to challenge French influence in Morocco and assert German interests in the region.

:: French Colonial Possessions ::

Algeria: France began its colonial rule in Algeria in 1830, treating it as an integral part of France until its independence in 1962. The French established a significant settler population (pieds-noir) and implemented extensive agricultural reforms.

Tunisia: In 1881, France established a protectorate over Tunisia, which lasted until 1956. This move was partly motivated by Tunisia's financial difficulties and the need to stabilize the region.

Morocco: France also created a protectorate in Morocco in 1912, which continued until 1956. This colonial relationship involved significant economic exploitation and cultural imposition.

:: Spanish Colonial Possessions ::

Spanish West Africa: Formed in 1946, this included Ifni, Saguia el-Hamra, and Río de Oro. Spain's presence in the region was characterized by military conflicts with local populations and eventual cession of territories to Morocco after the Ifni War (1957-58).

Coastal Outposts: Spain also established several coastal outposts in North Africa from the late 15th century onward, including Melilla and Ceuta. These were strategically important for trade and military operations against Muslim territories.

Ceuta, by the way, became Spanish in 1668 when it was formally ceded to Spain by Portugal through the Treaty of Lisbon. This treaty ended the Portuguese Restoration War and recognized Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, which had been under Portuguese control since its capture in 1415.

:: Ottoman Colonial Possessions ::

The Ottoman Empire controlled parts of North Africa until the late 19th century. Their influence dwindled as European powers expanded their colonial ambitions. Key territories included Libya (which later fell to Italy, when Italy took control of Libya in 1911, during the Italo-Turkish War), and Tunisia (which was taken by France which established its protectorate over Tunisia on May 12, 1881, following the signing of the Treaty of Bardo. This treaty was a result of military intervention by France, which had used the pretext of border incidents and unrest involving local tribes to justify its invasion.).

:: Italian Colonial Possessions ::

Libya: Italy unified its colonies of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania into a single colony known as Italian Libya from 1934 to 1943. The territory was acquired during the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912) and saw significant Italian settlement efforts.

:: British Colonial Possessions ::

Gibraltar was captured by the British during the War of the Spanish Succession on August 4, 1704, when an Anglo-Dutch fleet under Admiral George Rooke took the territory from Spain. The capture was formalized under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which ceded Gibraltar to Britain permanently.

Credits

University of Texas at Austin. From the Cambridge Modern History Atlas, 1912.

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