Economic Relations between France and its West African Colonies Until the Second World War

One of the most important developments that established France's dominance over the region, whose commercial relations with West Africa date back to the 17th century, was the Berlin West Africa Conference. The fact that French West Africa, which was established after the conference, was a region rich in valuable products such as gold, spices, ivory, cotton, peanuts, and palm oil led to the development of economic relations between France and West Africa. In this direction, France, which tried to control the trade in the region through the companies it established, also aimed to increase the volume of trade by connecting the Atlantic coasts and inland areas through railway investments. In line with these explanations, this study aims to examine the economic relations between France and its colonies in West Africa under three headings: the concessionary companies established to control trade in the region, the railroads built to increase the volume of trade, and the import-export structure. To reveal these relations, original documents have been analyzed, and the reports of the Directorate General of Customs of France and the French Official Gazette have been used. The results show that the French colonies in West Africa did not have a significant commercial share both in France and in France's colonies around the world. Nevertheless, the concessionary companies established and thousands of kilometers of railways-built show that the colonies in West Africa were extremely important for the French economy.