Which African country was formerly known as Upper Volta?

The African country formerly known as Upper Volta is Burkina Faso. The name changed in 1984 during the government of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.

Upper Volta referred to the country’s position along the upper courses of the Volta River system. The Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta were also represented by the colours of the former Upper Volta flag. The territory became a self-governing republic within the French Community in 1958 and gained full independence from France on 5 August 1960.

On 4 August 1984, Sankara’s government renamed the country Burkina Faso. The name combines words from two local languages: “Burkina,” from Mooré, meaning upright or honest, and “Faso,” from Dyula, meaning fatherland or homeland. The country’s people are called Burkinabé, using a suffix from the Fula language.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its capital is Ouagadougou, and it shares borders with Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.