Oubangui-Chari was the name given in 1894 to the French Territory which on 13 August, 1960 had become an independent Central African Republic. It followed the establishment of the Bangui outpost in 1889.

The French did not establish a colonial administration until 1903 upon defeating Egyptian forces (the territory was claimed by the Egyptian Sultan). The Oubangui-Chari territory was merged with the Chad colony in 1906, and in 1910 it became one of four territories of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa, (with Chad, Middle Congo and Gabon).