Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso
Adopted	August 4, 1984
Proportions	2:3

The flag of Burkina Faso consists of two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center.

Symbolism

The flag uses the colours of Pan-African movement, ultimately derived from the flag of Ethiopia.

• The red symbolizes the revolution.
• The green symbolizes the abundance of natural riches.
• The yellow star placed over the red and green stripes symbolizes the guiding light of the revolution. Sometimes the yellow star is interpreted as standing for mineral wealth of the country.

History

The territory of the contemporary Burkina Faso was part of French West Africa till 1960, and used the flag of France.

In 1958, it gained autonomy as The Republic of Upper Volta, and in 1959 it adopted its own flag which was flown alongside with the flag of France. It was virtually the same as the flag of the former German Empire and consisted of three horizontal stripes of black, white, and red, which represented the three rivers of the country: The Black Volta, White Volta and the Red Volta. In 1960, the country gained full independence.

In 1984, when socialists came to power the country adopted its current name, flag, and coat of arms.

Flag Colors

Color	Color Name	HEX RGB
	Red (Pigment)	#ee2222
	Golden Yellow	#ffdd00
	Spanish Green	#009944