Republic of Upper Volta Republic of Upper Volta The Republic of Upper Volta (), now Burkina Faso, was a landlocked West African country established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960, it attained full independence from France. Thomas Sankara came to power through a military coup d'état on August 4, 1983. After the coup, he formed the National Council for the Revolution (CNR), with himself as president. Under the direction of Sankara, the country changed its name on August 4,
Volta Grande Volta Grande which is part of the Paraiba do Sul river basin. The town originated from a village formed in 1835 and was elevated to a district of the municipality of Alem Paraíba in 1891. Emancipation came in 1938. It is the birthplace of film director Humberto Mauro. Volta Grande Volta Grande is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. As of 2004 its population was estimated to be 5,118. Volta Grande is located in the Zona da Mata mesoregion of Minas Gerais near the border with the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city is by road