Flag of Burkina Faso

Flag origins

Burkina Faso’s flag has red above green with a yellow or gold five-pointed star at the center. Red represents blood shed for the revolution and the people’s sacrifices. Green symbolizes agriculture, plants, natural resources and the prosperity they bring. The star represents revolutionary guidance and ideals leading the country into the future; government-related materials also describe a vision for opening the future and guidance toward fulfillment. Red, yellow and green are also Pan-African colors, widely used to express African independence and solidarity.

Flag story

The flag was adopted on August 4, 1984, the same day the country changed its name. Previously it had been called Upper Volta, a name inherited from the French colonial period. Under President Thomas Sankara’s revolutionary government, the name became Burkina Faso, and the former black-white-red tricolour was replaced with the present red, green and yellow design. The new name combines local languages and is usually translated as “land of upright people” or “land of honest people.”

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Burkina Faso — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

Report an error