Burkina Faso 
 

20 Feb 1895 - 9 Dec 1959

9 Dec 1959 - 4 Aug 1984

Adopted 4 Aug 1984

Map of Burkina Faso Hear National Anthem    "Le Ditanye" (Anthem of the Victory) Adopted 2 Aug 1984 Former National Anthem "Hymne Nationale Voltaïque"  (National Anthem of Upper Volta) (1960-1984) Constitution (2  Jun 1991; suspended 31 Oct - 15 Nov 2014) Capital: Ouagadougou  Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (XOF) National Holiday: 11 Dec (1958) Proclamation de la République (Republic Day) Population: 19,742,715 (2018) GDP: $35.85 billion (2017) Exports: $3.14 billion (2017) Imports: $3.30 billion (2017) Ethnic groups: Mossi 52%, Fulani 8.4%, Gurma 7%, Bobo 4.9%, Gurunsi 4.6%, Senufo 4.5%, Bissa 3.7%, Lobi 2.4%,  Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Bella 1.9%, Dioula 0.8%, unspecified/ no answer 0.3%, other 7.2% (2010) Total Active Armed Forces: 11,200 (2018) Merchant marine: None (2017) Religions: Muslim 61.5%, Roman Catholic 23.3%, traditional/ animist 7.8%, Protestant 6.5%, other/no answer 0.2%, none 0.7% (2010) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfCFTA, AfDB, APM, AU, BCEAO, BTWC, CCM, CD, CEMAC, CEN-SAD, CTBT, CWC, ECOWAS, EITI, ESCR, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ISESCO, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT (signatory), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OST, PCA, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Burkina Faso Index Chronology   20 Feb 1895                French protectorate of Haute-Volta (Upper Volta). 18 Oct 1904                Part of Haut-Sénégal-Niger (see Mali).  1 Mar 1919                French colony of Haute-Volta (Upper Volta)                              (part of French West Africa; see Senegal).  1 Jan 1933                Partitioned between French Sudan, Ivory Coast,                              and Niger.  1 Jan 1938 - 29 Jul 1940  Haute Côte d'Ivoire (Upper Ivory Coast)(as part of                              Ivory Coast). 16 Jun 1940 - 23 Nov 1942  Administration loyal to Vichy France (from 23 Nov                              1942 [under Darlan to 24 Dec 1942], Free French).  4 Sep 1947                French overseas territory Haute-Volta (Upper Volta) 11 Dec 1958                Autonomy (Republic of Upper Volta [République de                              Haute-Volta]; also in official use to 1959:                              Voltaic Republic [République Voltaïque]). 11 Dec 1958 -  5 Aug 1960  Member state of the Communauté (French Community). 30 Jan 1959                Mali Federation constitution  is ratified by                              Upper Volta, but is de facto voided 19 Mar 1959.  5 Aug 1960                Independence from France (Republic of Upper                              Volta).  4 Aug 1984                Burkina Faso. Traditional States

Commandants
20 Feb 1895 - 26 Jul 1898  Georges Matthieu Destenave         (b. 1854 - d. 1928)
Jul 1898 - 18 Oct 1904     Crane
18 Oct 1904 -  1 Mar 1919  part of Senegal
Lieutenant governors
 9 Nov 1919 -  7 Aug 1927  Frédéric Charles Édouard           (b. 1869 - d. 1934)
                             Alexandre Hesling
 6 Aug 1921 - 26 May 1922  Louis Jacques Eugène Fousset       (b. 1882 - d. 1949)
                             (1st time)(acting for Hesling)
 9 May 1924 - 10 Dec 1924  Louis Jacques Eugène Fousset       (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(acting for Hesling)
May 1926 - Nov 1926        Louis Jacques Eugène Fousset       (s.a.)
                             (3rd time)(acting for Hesling)
 7 Aug 1927 - 13 Jan 1928  Robert Arnaud (acting)             (b. 1873 - d. 1950)
13 Jan 1928 - 22 Dec 1932  Albéric Auguste Fournier           (b. 1878 - d. 19..)
10 Jan 1929 -  1 Dec 1929  Louis Jacques Eugène Fousset       (s.a.)  
                             (4th time)(acting for Fournier)
 1 Dec 1929 - 20 Jan 1930  Henri Louis Chessé (1st time)      (b. 1874 - d. 19..) 
                             (acting for Fournier)
 1 Aug 1930 - 20 Jan 1931  François Eugène Paul Bernard       (b. 1879 - d. 19..) 
                             (acting for Fournier)
22 Dec 1932 - 31 Dec 1932  Gabriel Omer Descemet              (b. 1879 - d. 1961)
31 Dec 1931 -  1 Jan 1933  Henri Louis Chessé (2nd time)      (s.a.)
                             (interim) 
 1 Jan 1933 -  5 Sep 1947  divided between French Sudan, 
                           Ivory Coast, and Niger
Resident Superior of Upper Ivory Coast
 1 Jan 1938 - 29 Jul 1940  Edmond Louveau                     (b. 1895 - b. 1973)
29 Jul 1940 -  6 Sep 1947  direct rule by Ivory Coast
Governors
 6 Sep 1947 - 29 Apr 1948  Gaston Mourgues (acting)           (b. 1895 - d. 1966)
29 Apr 1948 - 23 Feb 1953  Albert Jean Mouragues              (b. 1908 - d. 1976)
22 Mar 1950 - Oct 1950     Lucien Eugène Geay                 (b. 1900 - d. 1976)
                             (acting for Mouragues)
25 Apr 1952 - Oct 1952     Roland Joanes Louis Pré            (b. 1907 - d. 1980)
                             (acting for Mouragues)
23 Feb 1953 -  3 Nov 1956  Salvador Jean Étcheber             (b. 1901 - d. 1967)
 3 Nov 1956 - 15 Jul 1958  Yvon Bourges                       (b. 1921 - d. 2009)
15 Jul 1958 - 11 Dec 1958  Max Guillaume Berthet (acting)     (b. 1909 - d. 1961)
High Commissioners
11 Dec 1958 - Feb 1959     Max Guillaume Berthet              (s.a.)
Feb 1959 -  5 Aug 1960     Paul Jean Marie Masson             (b. 1920 - d. 2009)
Presidents
11 Dec 1959 -  4 Jan 1966  Nawalagmba Maurice Yaméogo         (b. 1921 - d. 1993)  UDV-RDA
 4 Jan 1966 - 25 Nov 1980  Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana        (b. 1916 - d. 2005)Mil;1970 None
25 Nov 1980 -  7 Nov 1982  Saye Zerbo                         (b. 1932 - d. 2013)  Mil
                            (president of Military Committee
                             of Recovery for National Progress,
                             and from 7 Dec 1980 Head of State)
 7 Nov 1982 -  4 Aug 1983  Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo            (b. 1942)            Mil
                            (chairman of Provisional Committee
                             of Popular Salvation [provisional
                             to 11 Nov 1982] to 26 Nov 1982,
                             then Head of State) 
 4 Aug 1983 - 15 Oct 1987  Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara        (b. 1949 - d. 1987)  Mil
                            (chairman of National Revolutionary 
                             Council and Head of State to 10 Aug 1984
                             then and President)
15 Oct 1987 - 31 Oct 2014  Blaise Compaoré                    (b. 1951)         Mil/FP;Dec 1991
                             (President of Popular Front [from 31 Oct 1987      ODP-MT;1996 CDP
                             and Head of State] to 24 Dec 1991)
31 Oct 2014 -  1 Nov 2014  Honoré Nabéré Traoré               (b. 1957)            Mil
                             (Head of State)
 1 Nov 2014 - 18 Nov 2014  Isaac Yacouba Zida (Head of State) (b. 1965)            Mil
18 Nov 2014 - 17 Sep 2015  Michel Kafando (1st time)          (b. 1942)            Non-party
                             (president of the transition)
17 Sep 2015 - 23 Sep 2015  Gilbert Diendéré                   (b. 1958)            Mil
                             (chairman of National Council of Democracy)
23 Sep 2015 - 29 Dec 2015  Michel Kafando (2nd time)          (s.a.)               Non-party
                             (president of the transition)
29 Dec 2015 -              Roch Marc Christian Kaboré         (b. 1957)            MPP

Vice President of the Government Council
18 May 1957 - 26 Jul 1958  Daniel Ouézzin Coulibaly           (b. 1909 - d. 1958)  UDV
Presidents of the Government Council 
26 Jul 1958 -  7 Sep 1958  Daniel Ouézzin Coulibaly           (s.a.)               UDV-RDA
 7 Sep 1958 - 11 Dec 1958  Nawalagmba Maurice Yaméogo         (s.a.)               UDV-RDA
                             (acting to 21 Oct 1958)
Prime ministers
11 Dec 1958 - 11 Dec 1959  Nawalagmba Maurice Yaméogo         (s.a.)               UDV-RDA
11 Dec 1959 - 13 Feb 1971  Post abolished
13 Feb 1971 -  8 Feb 1974  Gérard Kango Ouédraogo             (b. 1925 - d. 2014)  UDV-RDA
 8 Feb 1974 -  7 Jul 1978  Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana        (s.a.)               Non-party
 7 Jul 1978 - 25 Nov 1980  Issoufou Joseph Conombo            (b. 1917 - d. 2008)  UDV-RDA
25 Nov 1980 - 10 Jan 1983  Post abolished
10 Jan 1983 - 17 May 1983  Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara        (s.a.)               Mil
17 May 1983 - 16 Jun 1992  Post abolished
16 Jun 1992 - 22 Mar 1994  Youssouf Ouédraogo                 (b. 1952 - d. 2017)  ODP-MT
22 Mar 1994 -  6 Feb 1996  Roch Marc Christian Kaboré         (s.a.)               ODP-MT
 6 Feb 1996 -  7 Nov 2000  Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo             (b. 1953)            CDP
 7 Nov 2000 - 11 Jun 2007  Paramanga Ernest Yonli             (b. 1956)            CDP
11 Jun 2007 - 18 Apr 2011  Tertius Zongo                      (b. 1957)            CDP
18 Apr 2011 - 30 Oct 2014  Luc Adolphe Tiao                   (b. 1954)            CDP
30 Oct 2014 - 19 Nov 2014  Vacant
19 Nov 2014 - 17 Sep 2015  Isaac Yacouba Zida (1st time)      (s.a.)               Mil
17 Sep 2015 - 23 Sep 2015  Vacant
23 Sep 2015 - 13 Jan 2016  Isaac Yacouba Zida (2nd time)      (s.a.)               Mil
13 Jan 2016 - 24 Jan 2019  Paul Kaba Thieba                   (b. 1960)            Non-party
24 Jan 2019 - 30 Dec 2020  Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré     (b. 1948)            Non-party
                             (1st time)
10 Jan 2021 -              Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré     (s.a.)               Non-party
                             (2nd time)

Territorial Disputes: Adding to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighborsdemarcation is currently underway with Mali; the dispute with Niger was referred to the ICJ in 2010, and a dispute over several villages with Benin persists Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou.

Party abbreviations: CDP = Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès (Congress for Democracy and Progress, socialist, left-wing, former ODP-MT, suspended from 15 Dec 2014, est.1996); MPP = Mouvement du Peuple pour le Progrès (People's Movement for Progress, progressive, center-left, est.25 Jan 2014); Mil = Military;
- Former parties: FP = Front Populaire (Popular Front, 1987-1991); MNR = Mouvement National pour le Renouveau (National Movement for Renewal, pro-Lamizana organization, 1974-1980); ODP-MT = Organisation pour la Démocratie Populaire-Mouvement du Travail (Organization for People's Democracy-Worker's Movement, communist, 1989-1996, renounced Marxism-Leninism in Mar 1991, merged into CDP); UDV = Union Démocratique du Voltaïque (Voltaic Democratic Union, only from 1958 legal party, 1947-1958, renamed UDV-RDA); UDV-RDA = Union Démocratique du Voltaïque-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (Voltaic Democratic Union-Rally for a Democratic Africa, 1960-66 only legal party, 1958-1980)