Republic of Upper Volta is an old name for the country in Africa which is known as Burkina Faso today. It was a French colony, which became independent in 1960. Upper Volta existed as a French colony from 1918 to 1932. In 1932, it was disbanded, and its territory was shared between the neighboring countries, French Sudan, Niger and Ivory Coast. In 1947, Upper Volta was restored, with its former borders.