Flags, Symbols & Currency of Burkina Faso
The National Flag of Burkina Faso was officially adopted on August 4, 1984. The flag's design is believed to have been inspired by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam鈥檚 flag.
The flag of Burkina Faso features two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center. It is a combination of the popular Pan-African colors that signify a break from the country鈥檚 oppressive colonial past and its integration with other African ex-colonies. The red color signifies the revolutionary struggles for independence that was necessary for shifting the nation鈥檚 focus. The green color is a symbol of hope and the richness of agriculture and natural vegetation. The yellow star at the center is a guiding light of revolution leadership programs. It also signifies the country鈥檚 rich endowment of mineral wealth. The flag has a height to width proportion ratio of 2:3.
History of the Flag of Burkina Faso
In the late 18th century, during the聽 French imperial rule, the tricolor national flag of France flew over the country and was the official flag of Burkina Faso. In December 1959, the executive council of the government under the French colony adopted the Upper Volta鈥檚 first flag which had equal horizontal bands of black, white, and red. The bands represented the three branches of River Volta (Red, Black, and White, which rise from the Bobo Dioulasso Highlands in Burkina Faso). In 1983, former prime minister Thomas Sankara, captured the Upper Volta Region and became the President. To instigate his people to follow Pan Africanism, Thomas Sankara renamed the country on August 4, 1984, from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso (meaning Land of Incorruptible People). A new coat of arms and a new National anthem was created. To signify the newly acquired freedom, the country adopted a new flag consisting of two horizontal bands of equal measurements, with red at the top and green at the bottom, and a yellow 5-pointed star in the middle.
Historical Flags Of Burkina Faso
Flag of Upper Volta
Symbols of Burkina Faso
The National Coat of Arms of Burkina Faso
The Burkina Faso coat of arms features a shield based on the national flag that is supported by two white stallions. The name of the country is displayed above the shield, while the National Motto: Unit茅, Progr猫s, Justice (鈥淯nity, Progress, Justice鈥�) rests on a banner below. The two plants emerging from the banner containing the National Motto symbolizes pearl millet 鈥� an important cereal grain cultivated in the country.
National Motto:
Unit茅, Progr猫s, Justice聽(鈥淯nity, Progress, Justice鈥�)
National Anthem
- Anthem Title: " Une Seule Nuit"(also known as L'Hymne de la Victoire or Ditanye)
- Music Composer: Thomas Sankara
- Lyricist:聽Thomas Sankara
- Date of Adoption: August 12, 1984
The National Anthem of Burkina Faso is "Une Seule Nuit"(also known as L'Hymne de la Victoire or Ditanye). It was written and composed by former President Thomas Sankara. It was adopted on August 12, 1984, replacing the "Hymne Nationale Voltaique" (the national anthem of Upper Volta); when the country changed its name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso.
"Une Seule Nuit" (French)
First Verse
Contre la f茅rule humiliante il y a d茅j脿 mille ans,
La rapacit茅 venue de loin les asservir il y a cent ans.
Contre la cynique malice m茅tamorphos茅e
En n茅ocolonialisme et ses petits servants locaux
Beaucoup flanch猫rent et certains r茅sist猫rent.
Mais les 茅checs, les succ猫s, la sueur, le sang
Ont fortifi茅 notre peuple courageux et fertilis茅 sa lutte h茅ro茂que.
Chorus 1
Et une seule nuit a rassembl茅e en elle
L'histoire de tout un peuple.
Et une seule nuit a d茅clench茅 sa marche triomphale
Vers l'horizon du bonheur.
Une seule nuit a r茅concili茅 notre peuple
Avec tous les peuples du monde,
A la conqu锚te de la libert茅 et du progr猫s
La Patrie ou la mort, nous vaincrons!
Second Verse
Nourris 脿 la source vive de la R茅volution.
Les engag茅s volontaires de la libert茅 et de la paix
Dans l'茅nergie nocturne et salutaire du 4 ao没t
N'avaient pas que les armes 脿 la main, mais aussi et surtout
La flamme au coeur pour l茅gitimement lib茅rer
Le Faso 脿 jamais des fers de tous ceux qui
脟脿 et, l脿 en poluaient l'芒me sacr茅e de l'ind茅pendance, de la souverainet茅.
Chorus 2
Et s茅ant d茅sormais en sa dignit茅 recouvr茅e
L'amour et l'honneur en partage avec l'humanit茅,
Le peuple du Burkina chante un hymne 脿 la victoire,
A la gloire du travail lib茅rateur, 茅mancipateur.
A bas l'exploitation de l'homme par l'homme!
H茅 en avant pour le bonheur de tout homme,
Par tous les hommes aujourd'hui et demain,
Par tous les hommes ici et pour toujours!
Third Verse
R茅volution populaire notre s猫ve nourrici猫re.
Maternit茅 immortelle du progr猫s 脿 visage d'homme.
Foyer 茅ternel de d茅mocratie consensuelle,
O霉 enfin l'identit茅 nationale a droit de cit茅,
O霉 pour toujours l'injustice perd ses quartiers,
Et o霉, des mains des b芒tisseurs d'un monde radieux
M没rissent partout les moissons de v艙ux patriotiques,
brillent les soleils infinis de joie.
Chorus 1
Et une seule nuit a rassembl茅e en elle
L'histoire de tout un peuple.
Et une seule nuit a d茅clench茅 sa marche triomphale
Vers l'horizon du bonheur.
Une seule nuit a r茅concili茅 notre peuple
Avec tous les peuples du monde,
A la conqu锚te de la libert茅 et du progr猫s
La Patrie ou la mort, nous vaincrons!
One Single Night
First Verse
Against the humiliating bondage of a thousand years
Rapacity came from afar to subjugate them for a hundred years.
Against the cynical malice in shape
Of neo-colonialism and its petty local servants.聽
Many gave in and certain others resisted.
But the frustrations, the successes, the sweat, the blood
Have fortified our courageous people and fertilized its heroic struggle.
Chorus 1
And one single night has drawn together
The history of an entire people,
And one single night has launched its triumphal march.
Towards the horizon of good fortune.
One single night has brought together our people
聽With all the peoples of the 海角社区,
In the acquisition of liberty and progress.
Motherland or death, we shall conquer.
Second Verse
Nourished in the lively source of the Revolution,
The volunteers for liberty and peace
With their nocturnal and beneficial energies of the 4th of August
Had not only hand arms, but also and above all
The flame in their hearts lawfully to free
Faso forever from the letters of those who
Here and there were polluting the sacred soul of independence and sovereignty.
Chorus 2
And seated henceforth in rediscovered dignity,
Love and honour partnered with humanity,
The people of Burkina sing a victory hymn
To the glory of the work of liberation and emancipation.
Down with exploitation of man by man!
Forward for the good of every man
By all men of today and tomorrow,
By every man here and always!
Third Verse
Popular revolution our nourishing sap.
Undying motherhood of progress in the face of man.
Eternal hearth of agreed democracy,
Where at last national identity has the right of freedom.
Where injustice has lost its place forever,
And where from the hands of builders of a glorious 海角社区
Everywhere the harvests of patriotic vows ripen and suns of boundless joy shine.
Chorus 1
And one single night has drawn together
The history of an entire people,
And one single night has launched its triumphal march.
Towards the horizon of good fortune.
One single night has brought together our people,
With all the peoples of the 海角社区,
In the acquisition of liberty and progress.
Motherland or death, we shall conquer.
The Currency of Burkina Faso is the The West African franc
The current official currency of Burkina Faso is the West African franc (CFA, XOF). The currency is shared with eight other West African countries that includes Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Niger, and Togo. CFA stands for Communaut茅 Financi猫re d'Afrique ("Financial Community of Africa"). The Banque Centrale des Etats de I'Afrique de I'Ouest or The Central Bank of West African States has the sole responsibility of issuing the currency.
The West African Franc has 100 subunits called centimes (c) but no centimes denominations are currently issued. It has a fixed exchange value of one euro to 655.957 CFA francs.
Coins and Banknotes
Since the introduction of the West African franc, several denominations have been created both in the form of coins and banknotes. The coins were made of聽 aluminum, bronze, copper, nickel, steel, or a combination of these materials. Presently, coins are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 250, and 500, with banknotes in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10,000 francs.
West African franc Banknotes
West African Franc Coins
Historical Currencies of Burkina Faso
The introduction of the West African franc in 1945 was influenced by the decline of the French West African franc after the WWII. The Institut d鈥橢mmision de l鈥橝frique Occidentale Fran莽oise et du Togo initially issued the currency until it was replaced by the Central Bank of West Africa in 1959.
French West African franc
