Editing French language in Canada (section)

=== 16th century ===
In 1524, the Florentine navigator [[Giovanni da Verrazzano]], working for Italian bankers in France, explored the American coast from [[Spanish Florida|Florida]] to [[Cape Breton Island]]. In 1529, Verrazzano mapped a part of the coastal region of the North American continent under the name Nova Gallia ([[New France]]). In 1534, King [[Francis I of France]] sent [[Jacques Cartier]] to explore previously unfamiliar lands. Cartier found the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]], sealed an alliance with the local people and obtained passage to go farther. During his second expedition (1535–1536), Cartier came upon the [[Saint Lawrence River]], a path into the heart of the continent. However, Cartier failed to establish a permanent colony in the area, and war in Europe kept France from further colonization through the end of the 16th century.<ref name="Atlas Universalis 1996 p.57">Atlas Universalis (1996), Tome 2, p. 57</ref><ref>Atlas Universalis (1996), Tome 5, p. 23</ref>