Rivières du Sud

Rivières du Sud (English: Southern Rivers) was a French colonial division in West Africa, roughly corresponding to modern coastal sections of Guinea.

Used for making soap, the palm oil trade was with Diola merchants who established markets in the interior, and transported it to the coastal stations.

The Rio Pongo area, nominally held by Germany, was traded to France for their 'rights' to Porto-Seguro and Petit Popo on the Togolese coast.

[2] The British formally recognised French control of the area, and the administrative division collecting these possessions was created under the name Rivières du Sud in 1882.

In 1891, Rivières du Sud was placed under the colonial lieutenant governor at Dakar, who had authority over the French coastal regions east to Porto-Novo (modern Benin).