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Image:Upper volta map with rivers.PNG
Upper Volta (French: Haute-Volta) was the name of the African country now called Burkina Faso.
The name change occurred on August 4, 1984, instigated by Thomas Sankara, the leader of the country at that time. The old name indicates that the country contains the upper part of the river Volta. The river is divided into three parts, called the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta. The colors of the national flag correspond to the parts of the river.
The French colony of Upper Volta was established on March 1, 1919 with its current boundaries from what had been administered as part of Côte d'Ivoire colony. However, on September 5 1932, Upper Volta was broken apart, with parts being administered by the colonies of Côte d’Ivoire, French Sudan (present day Mali), and Niger. The colony was revived with the previous boundaries on September 4, 1947. On December 11, 1958, it achieved self-government; it became a republic and member of the Franco-African Community (La Communauté Franco-Africaine). Full independence was attained on August 5, 1960.
See also: History of Burkina Faso
[edit] Trivia
- The phrase "Upper Volta with rockets," was used to describe the Soviet Union (in quotes, but with no attribution) in a survey on the Soviet economy in The Economist on April 9, 1988.
| Image:Blason France moderne.svg
| French Colonial Empire [
v • d • e</span>
]
| Image:Flag of France.svg
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| I- Former French protectorates and colonial possessions:
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| Africa & Indian Ocean: Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) | Arguin Island (off Morocco) | French West Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Dahomey, French Sudan (Mali), Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Upper Volta) & French Togoland & James Island (The Gambia) | French Equatorial Africa (Chad, Gabon, Middle Congo, Oubangui-Chari) | French Somaliland (Djibouti) | Comoros (Anjouan- Grande Comore- Mohéli) | Madagascar | Mascarene Islands : Ile de France (Mauritus) & Seychelles
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| The Americas (French colonization of the Americas): New France (Acadia, Louisiana, Quebec, Terre Neuve) | Inini | Berbice | Saint-Domingue (Haiti) | Tobago | Virgin Islands (part) | France Antarctique (part of Brazil) | France Équinoxiale (part of Brazil)
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| Asia: Alaouites | Alexandretta-Hatay (now a province of Turkey) | Ceylon | French India (Chandannagar, Coromandel Coast | Madras | Malabar, Mahé, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanaon) | Kwangchowan (lease in China) | French Indochina (Cambodia-Kampuchea | Laos | Vietnam: Annam, Cochinchina, Tonkin)
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| Oceania: New Caledonia | New Hebrides (now Vanuatu)
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| II- Present overseas territories and possessions:
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| Americas: French Guiana | Guadeloupe | Martinique | Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | Oceania: French Polynesia | New Caledonia | Wallis and Futuna | Indian Ocean: Mayotte | La Réunion (Mascarene- formerly Île Bourbon)
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| See also: French colonisation of the Americas | Chartered company | French East India Company
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bg:Горна Волта
br:Volta-Uhel
de:Obervolta
es:Alto Volta
fr:Haute-Volta
he:וולטה העילית
it:Alto Volta
ko:오트볼타
nl:Opper-Volta
no:Øvre Volta
pt:Alto Volta
sl:Zgornja Volta
fi:Ylä-Volta
sv:Övre Volta
