The West African States, a former federation of eight French colonial territories on the northwest coast of Africa, has an area of 1,813,079 sq. mi. (4,742,495 sq. km.) and a population of 60 million. Capital: Dakar. The constituent territories were Mauritania, Senegal, Dahomey, French Sudan, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Niger and French Guinea. ,The members of the federation were overseas territories within the French Union until Sept. of 1958 when all but French Guinea approved the constitution of the Fifth French Republic, thereby electing to become autonomous members of the new French Community. French Guinea voted to become the fully independent Republic of Guinea. The other seven attained independence in 1960. The French West Africa territories were provided with a common currency, a practice which was continued as the monetary union of the West African States which provides a common currency to the autonomous republics of Dahomey (now Benin), Mali, Senegal, Upper Volta (now Burkina Fasco) Ivory Coast, Togo, Niger, and Guinea-Bissau.,, Monetary System:,,, ,1 Franc = 100 Centimes,,