In the second half of the 19th century, France created a vast colonial empire. In Africa, its possessions spread south from the Mediterranean coast to the Equator. In Asia, the French conquered Indochina - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. A scattering of islands in the West Indies and in the Pacific and Indian Oceans were also in French hands. French explorers such as RenΘ CailliΘ (1799-1838), Henri Duveyrier (1840-92), Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (1852-1905), and Francis Garnier (1839-73) helped open up the world to European influence.Ö@Colonial produce@
French traders and plantation owners earned great wealth from exotic produce from the colonies, such as rubber, bananas, and spices.e
