Burkina Faso Gains Independence

Date: August 5, 1960 • Location: Pitmoaga, Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso, then known as Upper Volta, becomes independent from France.

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi). In 2024, the country had an estimated population of approximately 23,286,000. Its citizens are known as Burkinabes, and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.