French Upper Volta and two years later on 5 August 1960, it attained full independence. On 4 August 1984, the name was changed to Burkina Faso. The name Upper Volta indicates that the country contains the upper part of the Volta River. The river is divided into three parts, called the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta. Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Upper Volta was dominated by the empire-building Mossi/Mossi Kingdoms, who are believed to have come up to their present location from present-day Northern Ghana. For centuries, the Mossi peasant was both farmer and soldier, and
Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland Long Service Medal is a state-awarded decoration, conferred on an individual basis to selected recipients only. There are three grades, Gold, Silver and Bronze, awarded for 25, 15 and 5 years, respectively. The ribbon is red with double white edge stripes and a central gold or silver stripe for gold and silver awards. Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland The Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland () is a Polish military decoration, awarded for long service and excellent work in the army. The medal was first established on 26 May