Flag of Burkina FasoRépublique du Burkina Faso

What the flag looks like

The Burkinabè flag consists of two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom), with a yellow five-pointed star centered on the flag. The proportion is 2:3. It was adopted on 4 August 1984, when the country changed its name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso under President Thomas Sankara, and has remained unchanged since.

Colors and meaning

Red represents the blood shed in the struggle for independence and the revolution, green represents the country's fertile land and hope for the future, and the yellow star represents the country's mineral wealth and the bright future of Burkina Faso.

Red

Represents the blood shed by Burkinabè patriots during the struggle for independence from France, achieved in 1960, and during the 1983 revolution that brought Thomas Sankara to power.

Green

Represents the country's fertile land, agriculture and hope for a bright future. Despite being landlocked and mostly arid, Burkina Faso has significant agricultural potential along the Volta River system.

Yellow star

Represents the country's mineral wealth — Burkina Faso is one of Africa's largest gold producers — and the bright future of the nation. Yellow also represents the socialist revolutionary ideal that guided the 1984 change.

Design origin

The flag was adopted when Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso ('land of upright people') by Thomas Sankara. The design draws on the Pan-African colors and the symbol of the socialist revolution — a yellow star — reflecting Sankara's Marxist-Leninist political alignment at the time.

History and adoption

Burkina Faso was a French colony known as Upper Volta, named after the Volta River, and gained independence on 5 August 1960. The first flag was a black, white and red horizontal tricolor, representing the three branches of the Volta River. On 4 August 1984, President Thomas Sankara renamed the country Burkina Faso and adopted the current red-green-yellow star flag, inspired by the socialist revolutions of Cuba and Vietnam. Sankara was assassinated in 1987, but the flag was retained by his successors and has remained unchanged since.

Key facts

Adopted

4 August 1984

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Based on the socialist revolutionary flags of Cuba and Vietnam

Capital

Ouagadougou

Country code

BF

Similar flags

None

Historical and related flags

Burkina Faso has used two national flags since independence.

• French Upper Volta (1919–1960): French flag used during colonial rule.
• First national flag (1960–1984): Black, white and red horizontal tricolor.
• Current flag (1984–present): Red and green horizontal bands with a yellow star.
• Presidential standard: Uses the Burkinabè coat of arms with two horses and a shield.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Burkina Faso look like?

The flag of Burkina Faso has two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom), with a yellow five-pointed star in the center. The proportion is 2:3.

When was the flag of Burkina Faso adopted?

The current flag of Burkina Faso was officially adopted on 4 August 1984.

What do the colors mean?

Red represents the blood shed in the struggle for independence and the revolution, green represents the country's fertile land and hope for the future, and the yellow star represents the country's mineral wealth and the bright future of Burkina Faso.

Which flags look similar to the Burkina Faso flag?

No other national flag closely resembles Burkina Faso's. The combination of red and green horizontal bands with a central yellow star is unique.