events
French Upper Volta and French Dahomey gain self-government from France, becoming the Republic of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and the Republic of Dahomey (now Benin), respectively, and joining the French Community.
Related Wikipedia articles
French Upper Volta
French colony in West Africa (1919-1958); now Burkina Faso
Upper 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. The colony was dissolved on 5 September…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
French Dahomey
French colony in West Africa (1894–1958); now Benin
French Dahomey, officially the Colony of Dahomey and Dependencies, was a French colony and part of French West Africa from 1894 to 1958. After World War II, by the establishment of the French Fourth Republic in 1947, Dahomey became part of the French Union with increased…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
French Fourth Republic
Government of France from 1946 to 1958
The French Fourth Republic was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of 13 October 1946. Essentially a reestablishment and continuation of the French Third Republic which governed from 1870…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Republic of Upper Volta
Former country in West Africa (1958–1984); now Burkina Faso
The Republic of Upper Volta was a landlocked West African country established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing state within the French Community. Before becoming autonomous, it had been part of the French Union as the French Upper Volta. On 5 August 1960, it gained full…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Burkina Faso
Country in West Africa
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2. In 2024, the country had an estimated…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Republic of Dahomey
1958–1975 state in West Africa, now known as Benin
The Republic of Dahomey, simply known as Dahomey, was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On 1 August 1960, it attained full independence from…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Benin
Country in West Africa
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its population lives on the southern…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
French Community
1958–1995 association of former French colonies
The French Community was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which had reorganized the colonial empire in 1946. While the Community remained…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)