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France Équinoxiale

A short-lived French equatorial colony that founded São Luís on the island of Maranhão in 1612.

The French surrendered to Alexandre de Moura's Portuguese fleet in 1615 (after defeat at Guaxenduba, 1614); Portugal kept São Luís and pushed on to found Belém.

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Moments from the Chronicle

• 1612 France Équinoxiale French colonists found São Luís on the island of Maranhão, briefly extending France to the equator.
• 1615 Portugal takes São Luís After victory at Guaxenduba (1614), Alexandre de Moura's fleet forces the French to surrender São Luís, ending France Équinoxiale.

Further reading

• Amazon Frontier John Hemming · 1987

  Hemming's Amazon history covers the French founding of São Luís and the Portuguese reconquest of Maranhão.

• A History of Brazil E. Bradford Burns · 1970

  Narrative history treating the short-lived French equatorial colony of 1612–15 (broad context).

Sources

• Equinoctial France — Wikipedia