The French designated the territories that they took possession of starting in the 17th century New France.
The origin of the name is attributed to two brothers, Giovanni and Girolamo da Verrazzano, who, in 1542, used the names Francesca and Nova Gallia to designate lands situated in the interior of the Atlantic coast.
The territory of New France extended from Hudson Bay to the mouth of the Mississippi, and included Newfoundland and all the land from Labrador to Maine. After 1760 and the final conquest of New France by England, the term fell out of use.
