Chronology
28 September 1958 – A referendum on the proposed constitution for the Fifth Republic is held throughout the French Union. It is approved in every territory except French Guinea, which instead opts, by an overwhelming majority, for complete independence. The campaign in favour of independence had been led by Sékou Touré and his Democratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally.
2 October 1958 – French Guinea gains complete independence, outside of the French Community, and is renamed the Republic of Guinea.
4 October 1958 – The constitution of the Fifth Republic comes into effect.
14 October 1958 – Madagascar becomes an autonomous state within the French Community and is renamed the Malagasy Republic.
24 November 1958 – The French Sudan becomes an autonomous state within the French Community and is renamed the Sudanese Republic.
25 November 1958 – Senegal becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
28 November 1958 – Chad becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
28 November 1958 – The Middle Congo becomes an autonomous state within the French Community and is renamed the Republic of the Congo.
28 November 1958 – Gabon becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
28 November 1958 – Mauritania becomes an autonomous state within the French Community and is renamed the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
1 December 1958 – Ubangi-Shari becomes an autonomous state within the French Community and is renamed the Central African Republic.
4 December 1958 – Dahomey becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
4 December 1958 – Ivory Coast becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
11 December 1958 – Upper Volta becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
19 December 1958 – Niger becomes an autonomous state within the French Community.
4 April 1959 – Senegal and the Sudanese Republic form a union as the Mali Federation. Dakar is the federal capital.
1 January 1960 – French Cameroun gains complete independence and is renamed the Republic of Cameroun, outside of the French Community.
27 April 1960 – Togo gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
4 June 1960 – Articles 85 and 86 are amended by Constitutional Act No. 60-525, allowing the member states to become fully independent, either still as a member of the Community or not. This amendment also allows for a state that is already fully independent to join the Community without losing its independence; a provision that will never be taken advantage of by any state.
20 June 1960 – The Mali Federation gains independence, within the French Community.
26 June 1960 – The Malagasy Republic gains independence, within the French Community.
1 August 1960 – Dahomey gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
3 August 1960 – Niger gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
5 August 1960 – Upper Volta gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
7 August 1960 – The Ivory Coast gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
11 August 1960 – Chad gains independence, within the French Community.
13 August 1960 – The Central African Republic gains independence, within the French Community.
15 August 1960 – The Republic of the Congo gains independence, within the French Community.
17 August 1960 – Gabon gains independence, within the French Community.
20 August 1960 – Senegal secedes from the Mali Federation and becomes an independent state in its own right, but still within the French Community.
22 September 1960 – The Sudanese Republic is renamed the Republic of Mali, and withdraws from the French Community.
28 November 1960 – Mauritania gains complete independence, outside of the French Community.
29 July 1961 – The Wallis and Futuna Islands, hitherto administered by the government of New Caledonia, become an overseas territory in their own right.
22 December 1961 – The Comoro Islands are granted full internal autonomy.
3 July 1962 – Algeria gains complete independence from France, outside of the French Community.
3 July 1967 – Act No. 67-521 grants French Somaliland wider autonomy and changes the name of the territory to the French Territory of the Afars and Issas.
6 July 1975 – Comorian President Ahmed Abdallah declares the whole archipelago independent of France, outside of the French Community. However, with the people of the island of Mayotte having voted in a referendum in 1974 against independence, the French refuse to recognise the inclusion of Mayotte in the new state.
19 July 1976 – St Pierre and Miquelon becomes an overseas department of France.
24 December 1976 – Mayotte becomes a territorial collectivity of France.
27 June 1977 – The French Territory of the Afars and Issas gains complete independence, outside of the French Community, and is renamed the Republic of Djibouti.
11 June 1985 – St Pierre and Miquelon becomes a territorial collectivity with special status, the local authorities having responsibility for taxation, customs arrangements, town planning and shipping registration.
4 August 1995 – Constitutional Act number 95-880 repeals the provisions in the French Constitution relating to the French Community and the association is formally abolished.
Read more about this topic: French Community