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First French colonial empire

1534 – 1803 CE · about 269 years

France's first colonial empire was centred on New France in North America, Caribbean sugar islands and trading posts in India and Africa. Most of it was lost to Britain by 1763, and Louisiana was sold to the United States in 1803.

Key facts

Dates	1534 – 1803 CE
Region	Europe & colonial empires
Continent	Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa
Capital	Paris
Religion(s)	Catholic Christianity
Peak extent	≈ 3.4 million km² (c. 1670 CE) – source

Before & after

Followed by

Second French colonial empire

Sources

Wikipedia – French colonial empire
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.