Flag of Burkina Faso

The flag of Upper Volta was introduced on 09.12.1959, and adopted for the independent Upper Volta. It showed three horizontal stripes in black, white and red. The three colors stood for the three arms of the Volta River (Red Volta, White Volta and Black Volta).

After the Sankara coup (04.08.1983), Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso (Land of the Incorruptible) exactly one year later, and the previous flag was abolished as an allegedly neocolonialist symbol. The new flag was thus introduced on 04.08.1984. It shows the Pan-African colors, two horizontal stripes in red and green with a yellow star in the center. The star is supposed to symbolize the revolutionary character of the new rulers. Green stands for the fertility of the country, and red for the blood spilled in the struggle for independence.

The colors green, yellow and red are the Pan-African colors: around 1900, the Pan-African movement began, which wanted to emphasize commonalities among all people with black skin. The political unity of Africa is represented by the color triad green-yellow-red, which many African countries adopted in their flags after gaining independence. The first country to do so was Ghana in 1957, which is considered to be the origin of the national colors of Athiopia (Abyssinia), the oldest independent state in Africa.

On 04.05.1961 a national coat of arms was adopted. It consisted of a blue shield, on it in the center a smaller shield (heart shield) in the national colors, with the golden initials of the country on it (RHV ? République de Haute-Volta). To the left and right of the heart shield a white horse as shield holder, below sorghum plants and two hoes. Behind the heart shield two crossed spears, and above the state motto in a banner: "Unité, Travail, Justice" => "Unity, Work, Justice". As a result of the Lamizana coup (04.01.1966), the coat of arms was modified in 1967. The blue shield was removed, the sorgho plants were shifted far to the left and right. An open book appeared in the place of the hoes. The banner above the heart shield bore the country name. Below the shield a banner with the new state motto was added: "Unité, Progress, Justice" => "Unity, Progress, Justice". On 04.08.1984, a new Marxist coat of arms was adopted with the new flag. It now shows a red cogwheel with a yellow background, in it a hoe crossed with a machine pistol (Kalashnikov), an open book and a red star. On the left and on the right the gear wheel is surrounded by sorghum plants, and below it a banner with the new national motto: "La Patrie ou la Mort, nous vaincrons" => "Fatherland or death, we win".

Probably in connection with a new constitution in 1991, Burkina Faso introduced a new, "civic" coat of arms. It corresponds to the coat of arms from 1967 to 1984, but the heart shield shows the current, still valid flag from 1984.

Two equal horizontal stripes (red and green) with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; thus, the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia are used.

Hymn