National Day of Burkina Faso

national dayThe National Day of Burkina Faso is on the 4th August. they changed their name from  Upper Volta in 1984. Their Independence Day, from France was in 1960, on the 5th August. Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, gained its independence from France.

National Day of Burkina Faso

Firstly as you will see that the National Day of Burkina Faso is celebrated annually on the 11th December. This day is also known as “The Day of the Republic” or “Fête de la République” in French (French National Days), which is the official language of Burkina Faso.  Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in West Africa, bordered by six other countries. Its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.

So on the 4th August 1983 it was Captain Thomas Sankara who seized power in a coup d’état. He had proceeded to overthrow the government of the then President Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo. At this point in time Sankara established a military-led government and renamed the country from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, which means “Land of Upright People” in the local languages of Moore and Dioula.

Sankara launched a series of ambitious programs aimed at transforming Burkina Faso into a self-sufficient and progressive nation. His policies focused on reducing corruption, improving education and healthcare, promoting women’s rights, and boosting food production through agricultural reforms. Sankara also called for debt relief for African countries, advocated for pan-African unity, and opposed imperialism and neo-colonialism.

However, Sankara’s revolutionary policies and anti-Western stance drew criticism from some international powers, and his regime faced internal opposition from conservative factions within the military. On the 15th October 1987, Sankara was assassinated in a coup d’état led by his former friend and colleague, Blaise Compaoré, who then became the new president of Burkina Faso.

See also  National Day of China

See also the National Day of Cameroon as well as the National Day of Burundi and the Algeria National Day.

Public Holidays in Burkina Faso 

Firstly some of the major public holidays in Burkina Faso are:

  • New Year’s Day – January 1st
  • Labour Day – May 1st
  • Martyr’s Day – March 1st
  • Independence Day – August 5th
  • Assumption Day – August 15th
  • All Saints’ Day – November 1st
  • National Day – December 11th
  • Christmas Day – December 25th

 

Finally in addition to these public holidays, there are also several religious holidays. See also the Western Australia public holidays as well as the Argentina national holiday as well as the public holidays in Tasmania as well.