Village Scene - Ivory Coast - 1940s - French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey and Niger. The capital of the federation was Dakar. The federation existed from 1895 until 1960. The houses are raised on stilts (pile dwellings) to protect from flooding. This is also obviously a coastal or riverside community as there are large fishing nets drying on poles close to the houses. Pile dwellings can still be found in the Ivory Coast in places such as Ebrie Lagoon. Date: 1947