A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Burkina Faso.
Flag of Burkina Faso
Adopted in 1984, the national flag of Burkina Faso consists of two equal horizontal stripes of red and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center. Red represents the revolutionary struggle, while green symbolizes agriculture and the country’s natural wealth. The yellow star represents the guiding light of the revolution.
Printable Burkina Faso Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Burkina Faso’s flag
1. Burkina Faso adopted its current national flag on 4 August 1984, following the country’s political revolution.
2. The flag uses the pan-African colors of red, green, and yellow, which are widely associated with African independence movements. The design symbolizes a break from the colonial past.
3. The flag was introduced after the country changed its name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso.
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Evolution of Burkina Faso’s flag
Flag of Upper Volta (1960–1984)
After gaining independence from France, the country used a flag with three horizontal stripes of black, white, and red. These colors represented the three main tributaries of the Volta River: the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta.
History of Burkina Faso’s flag
Independence and the flag of Upper Volta
During French colonial rule, the territory was known as French Upper Volta and used the French tricolor as its official flag.
When the country gained independence from France on 5 August 1960, it adopted a national flag consisting of three horizontal stripes of black, white, and red.
The design symbolized the three branches of the Volta River, which flows through the region. It was almost identical to the flag of the German Empire.
Political revolution and national change
In 1983, a coup brought Thomas Sankara to power and launched what became known as the People’s Democratic Revolution.
As part of the revolutionary reforms, the country changed its name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso on 4 August 1984.
Adoption of the modern flag
A new national flag was introduced on 4 August 1984, the first anniversary of the revolution. The design incorporated the pan-African colors of red, green, and yellow.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.