Coat of arms of Burkina Faso

Coat of arms of Burkina Faso
Armiger	Burkina Faso
Adopted	1997

Thecoat of armsofBurkina Fasocontains a shield based on the national flag. Above the shield the name of the country is shown, while below it is the national motto,Unité, Progrès, Justice(Frenchfor "Unity, Progress, Justice" ). The supporters are two white stallions. The two plants emerging from the lower banner appear to representpearl millet,an important cereal grain cultivated in this country where agriculture represents 32% of the gross domestic product. This coat of arms is similar to the oldUpper Voltacoat of arms (see below), with theBurkina Faso flagreplacing the Upper Volta flag in the middle. The coat of arms and its meaning is mandated by Law No 020/97/II/AN.

Official blazon

• one escutcheon bearing in the chief on a ribband argent the name of the country: "BURKINA FASO";
• in fess point an inescutcheon of two bands in fess with thebanner of arms,sewn upon two crossed spears;
• two stallions rampant argent supporting on each side the escutcheon;
• in base, an open book;
• below, two stalks of millet with three pairs of green leaves in crescent coming from the bottom, and equidistant to the vertical passing through the points of the shield and the upper ray of the star of the flag, crossed and connected in their bases with a ribbon bearing the motto of the country "Unité - Progrès - Justice".

Historic emblem (1984–1997)

Thomas Sankara's 1983–1987 Burkinabé revolution implemented an emblem featuring a crossed daba (a traditional Burkinabé agricultural tool) andAK-47(an allusion to theHammer and Sickle), with the mottoLa Patrie ou la Mort, nous vaincrons( "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome" ').

• 
  Emblem 1984–1997

Coat of arms of Upper Volta

This somewhat resembles the current emblem, except that the enclosing shield has a blue background, the inescutcheon is based on theflag of Upper Voltawith the superimposed letters "RHV" (forRépublique de Haute-Volta), and the motto wasUnité, Travail, Justice( "Unity, Labour, Justice" ).

• 
  Coat of arms ofUpper Voltafrom 1961-1984
• 
  Unverified Coat of arms of Upper Volta possibly from 1967