Answer:
French settlements in North America were distinct from British and Spanish settlements in several ways. One key difference was that the French tended to focus on trade and commerce, rather than large-scale agriculture. This was because the French were more interested in the fur trade, which required relatively small settlements that could be easily accessed by the native peoples who were the main source of furs. In contrast, the British and Spanish tended to establish large, permanent settlements and colonies that were focused on farming and other forms of resource extraction.