page_title: Republic of Upper Volta
section_title: Overview
hierarchical_section_title: Republic of Upper Volta / Overview
context_page_description: The Republic of Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, was a landlocked West African country established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960, it attained full independence from France. On August 4, 1984, it changed its name to Burkina Faso.
context_section_description: The name Upper Volta indicated that the country contains the upper part of the Volta River. The colors of the national flag corresponded to the names of its three main tributaries — the Black Volta, the White Volta, and the Red Volta.
caption: Map showing the Volta River in Upper Volta.
exif: {}