Word: volta
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...mark the first anniversary of the military coup that brought him to power in 1983, Captain Thomas Sankara changed the name of his landlocked West African country (pop. 7.3 million) from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, which in the local Mossi and Dioula languages means "Land of Upright Men." The old moniker was no longer appropriate, said Sankara, because it was chosen not by Africans but by white French colonists. Last week Sankara, 37, a popular and charismatic leader who was every inch an upright man, was himself replaced. He was ousted and killed in a bloody rebellion...
...fifth coup since Burkina Faso, formerly called Upper Volta, became independent of France...
...first anniversary of his coup, Sankara changed his country's name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, which was translated as "Land of the Upright...
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso (pop. 6.9 million), formerly Upper Volta, has lost little of its charm since the country gained independence from France in 1960. But the spacious avenues, bustling with mopeds and bicycles, belie the surrounding poverty. About 850 miles away in Accra, the capital of neighboring Ghana (pop. 14.3 million), where decrepit vehicles clog potholed streets, decay is all too evident. Yet despite the dilapidated economies of the two countries, they share a surprising amount of hope, largely because of the determination of their leaders. Once backed by extreme leftist elements, both men now appear committed...
Located on the southern edge of the Sahara, it is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a per capita income of $210 a year. Its 6.7 million people have been suffering from recurring drought that has caused widespread hardship and political instability. This month Upper Volta shed the name that the French bequeathed along with independence 24 years ago. President Thomas Sankara, 34, who seized power last year, decreed that his country would hence forth be known as Burkina Faso...