| Native Name: | Haute-Volta |
| Conventional Long Name: | Upper Volta |
| Common Name: | Upper Volta |
| Today: | Burkina Faso |
| Subdivision: | Constituent |
| Nation: | French West Africa |
| Life Span: | 1919–1932 1947–1958 |
| P1: | Upper Senegal and Niger |
| Flag P1: | Flag of France.svg |
| P2: | History of Ivory Coast#French colonial eraCôte d'Ivoire |
| Flag P2: | Flag of France.svg |
| S1: | French Sudan |
| Flag S1: | Flag of France.svg |
| S2: | Colony of Niger |
| Flag S2: | Flag of France.svg |
| S3: | Republic of Upper Volta |
| Flag S3: | Flag of Upper Volta.svg |
| Flag: | Flag of Burkina Faso |
| Image Map Caption: | Dark green: French Upper Volta Light green: French West Africa Dark gray: Other French possessions Darkest gray: French Republic |
| Anthem: | La Marseillaise |
| Capital: | Ouagadougou |
| Demonym: | Upper Voltese |
| Title Leader: | Governor |
| Leader1: | Albert Mouragues |
| Year Leader1: | 1948–1953 |
| Leader2: | Yvon Bourges |
| Year Leader2: | 1957–1958 |
| Leader3: | Max Berthet (acting) |
| Year Leader3: | 1958 |
| Title Deputy: | Premiera |
| Deputy1: | Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly |
| Year Deputy1: | 1957–1958 |
| Deputy2: | Maurice Yaméogo |
| Year Deputy2: | 1958 |
| Era: | InterwarCold War |
| Year Start: | 1919 |
| Year End: | 1958 |
| Date Start: | 1 March |
| Event1: | Abolished |
| Date Event1: | 5 September 1932 |
| Event2: | Reestablished |
| Date Event2: | 4 September 1947 |
| Event End: | Autonomy |
| Date End: | 11 December |
| Event Post: | Independence |
| Date Post: | 5 August 1960 |
| Footnotes: | a. President of the Government Council. |
Upper Volta (French: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Côte d'Ivoire.[1] The colony was dissolved on 5 September 1932, with parts being administered by the Côte d'Ivoire, French Sudan and the Colony of Niger.
After World War II, on 4 September 1947, the colony was revived as a part of the French Union, with its previous boundaries. On 11 December 1958, it was reconstituted as the self-governing Republic of Upper Volta within the French Community, and two years later on 5 August 1960, it attained full independence. On 4 August 1984, the name was changed to Burkina Faso.
The name Upper Volta indicates that the country contains the upper part of the Volta River. The river is divided into three parts, called the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta.
See main article: History of Burkina Faso. Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Upper Volta was dominated by the empire-building Mossi/Mossi Kingdoms, who are believed to have come up to their present location from present-day northern Ghana. For centuries, the Mossi peasant was both farmer and soldier, and the Mossi people were able to defend their religious beliefs and social structure against forcible attempts to convert them to Islam by Muslims from the northwest.[2]
When the French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, Mossi resistance ended with the capture of their capital at Ouagadougou. In 1919, certain provinces from Upper Senegal and Niger were united into a separate colony called the Upper Volta in the French West Africa federation. In 1932, the new colony was dismembered in a move to economise;[3] it was reconstituted in 1937 as an administrative division called the Upper Coast. After World War II, the Mossi renewed their pressure for separate territorial status and on 4 September 1947, Upper Volta became a French West African territory again in its own right.
The indigenous population was highly discriminated against. For example, African children were not allowed to ride bicycles or pick fruit from trees, "privileges" reserved for the children of colonists. Violating these regulations could land parents in jail.[4]
A revision in the organisation of French overseas territories began with the passage of the Basic Law (Loi Cadre) of 23 July 1956. This act was followed by reorganisational measures approved by the French parliament early in 1957 that ensured a large degree of self-government for individual territories. Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French community on 11 December 1958.[5]
Upper Volta achieved independence on 5 August 1960. The first president, Maurice Yaméogo, was the leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union (UDV). The 1960 constitution provided for election by universal suffrage of a president and a national assembly for five year terms; however, soon after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV.[6]