French Indochina

French Indochina, officially the Indochinese Union and later the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French-dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. Initially a federation of French colonies, it became a confederation of French associated states. It comprised Cambodia, Laos (from 1899), Guangzhouwan (1898–1945), Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Annam. The Second French Empire colonized Cochinchina in 1862 and established a protectorate in Cambodia in 1863. After the Tonkin campaign, the protectorates were consolidated into one union in 1887. The French exploited regional resources while providing limited, uneven improvements to health and education, benefiting mainly the French and a small native elite. Deep divides led to sporadic rebellions.