Page 129 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

E m p i r E s o f m E d i E v a l w E s t a f r i c a

French soldiers based In 1893 and 1894, French forces conquered Jenne and Timbuktu.
in Africa, such as these The nomadic Tuareg people of the Sahara continued to fight the French
photographed in 1900, for another 11 years. In 1899, French forces captured Gao, completing
were part of the European their conquest of the old territories of the medieval empires of Ghana,
military forces that Mali, and Songhay. Under French rule, the country now known as Mali
controlled colonial West
was called the French Soudan.
Africa for decades.

Modern guinea
During the period of colonial rule, Guinea was referred to as the jewel
of French West Africa. It had beautiful white sand beaches, Paris-style
restaurants, and luxurious hotels. Guinea exported coffee, peanuts,
mangoes, and pineapples.
Guinea gained its independence from France on October 2,
1958, by voting against remaining in the French Community. The
people who ran the government and the technicians who maintained

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