The Grand marché (Main Market) in Burkina Faso. *Photo from Wikipedia
August 5 is Independence Day of Burkina Faso.
Various ethnic groups of present-day Burkina Faso, such as the Mossi, Fula and Dyula, arrived in successive waves between the 8th and 15th centuries. From the 11th century the Mossi people established several separate kingdoms.
In the 1890s during the European Scramble for Africa, the territory of Burkina Faso was invaded by France, and colonial control was established following a war of conquest between 1896 and 1904. The territory was made part of French West Africa in 1904, and the colony of French Upper Volta was established on March 1, 1919. The colony was named for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River.
The Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958 as a self-governing colony within the French Community, and on August 5, 1960, it gained full independence.
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, which is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. Formerly called the “Republic of Upper Volta”, the country was renamed “Burkina Faso” (land of the upright/honest people) on August 4, 1984.
*Reference: Wikipedia
