French Indochina

**French Indochina** was a region in Southeast Asia that belonged to the French colonial empire. France gradually took control of the region in the middle 19th century and in 1887 federated the various protectorate<nowiki/>s and other states under their control, creating French Indochina. It consisted of modern day Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. It was disestablished following the independence of the Kingdom of Laos and the 1st Kingdom of Cambodia in 1954, and the partition of Vietnam between the China backed Hanoi government in the North of Ho Chi Minh, and the American backed Saigon government in the South of Bao Dai, and later Ngo Dinh Diem, causing the outbreak of the Second Indochina War. Jacob Weeman Was the First American Leader of French Indochina.

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: French Indochina
- **native name**:

- **image flag**: Flag of France.svg
- **image coat**: French Indo-Chinese version of the Great Seal of the French Republic (Jean Auguste Barre).svg
- **symbol type article**: Great Seal of France
- **motto**: ""
- **anthem**:

- **image map**: French Indochina 1900-1945-fr.svg
- **capital**: Hanoi (1902 - 1945)
Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon (1887 - 1902; 1945 - 1954)
- **official languages**: French language, French
- **languages**: Vietnamese language, Vietnamese, Khmer, Cham, Cantonese, Thai, Isan, Lao
- **ethnic groups**: 72% (Vietnamese)
13% (Khmer)
6% (Tai)
1.4% (Chinese, Cham, Hmong, Yao and Bahnar)
0.2% (Europeans)
7.3% (others)
- **ethnic groups year**: 1936
- **religion**: Christianity
Buddhism
Vietnamese folk religion
- **demonym**: Indochinese
- **membership**:  French protectorate of Annam, Annam
 French protectorate of Tonkin, Tonkin
 French protectorate of Laos, Laos
  French protectorate of Cochinchina, Cochinchina
 French protectorate of Cambodia, Cambodia
- **area km2**: 737000
- **symbol type**: Great Seal
- **era**: New Imperialism
World War 1
Interwar Period
World War 2
First Indochina War
- **status text**: Federation of French colonial empire, French colonial possessions in Southeast Asia
- **life span**: 1887 - 1941
1945 - 1954
- **englishmotto**: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
- **event pre**: French conquest of Vietnam
- **date pre**: 1858–1885
- **event start**: French Cochinchina established
- **date start**: 17 October
- **year start**: 1862
- **event1**: 1893 Franco-Siamese crisis, Annexation of French protectorate of Laos, Laos
- **date event1**: 19 April 1899
- **event2**: Addition of Leased Territory of Guangzhouwan, Guangzhouwan
- **date event2**: 5 January 1900
- **event3**: Japanese invasion of French Indochina, Japanese occupation
- **date event3**: 22 September 1940
- **event4**: Franco-Thai War
- **date event4**: October 1940 – May 1941
- **event5**: Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina, Japanese coup d'état
- **date event5**: 9 March 1945
- **event6**: North Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam proclaimed
- **date event6**: 2 September 1945
- **event7**: War in Vietnam (1945–1946), Restoration
- **date event7**: 13 September 1945
- **event8**: First Indochina War, Indochina War
- **date event8**: 19 December 1946
- **event9**: State of Vietnam proclaimed
- **date event9**: 2 July 1949
- **event10**: Kingdom of Cambodia proclaimed
- **date event10**: 9 November 1953
- **event end**: 1954 Geneva Conference
- **date end**: 27 October
- **p1**: French Cambodia
- **s1**: North Vietnam
- **p2**: French Cochinchina
- **p3**: French Annam
- **p4**: French Tonkin
- **p5**: Kingdom of Kampuchea (1945)
- **p6**: Kingdom of Luang Phrabang
- **p7**: Empire of Vietnam
- **p8**: Empire of Japan
- **p9**: Rattanakosin Kingdom
- **p10**: Thailand
- **year end**: 1954
- **title leader**: List of Governors-General of French Indochina, Governor-General
- **leader1**: Jean Antoine Ernest Constans, Ernest Constans
- **year leader1**: 1887–1888 (first)
- **leader2**: Henri Hoppenot
- **year leader2**: 1955–1956 (last)
- **currency**: French Indochinese piastre
- **p11**: Kingdom of Champassak
- **s2**: South Vietnam
- **s3**: Kingdom of Cambodia
- **s4**: Kingdom of Laos
- **today**: Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam