Burkina Faso, known as Upper Volta until its 1984 renaming by revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, takes its new name from two languages: 'Burkina' (people of integrity / upright people) from Mooré, and 'Faso' (fatherland / land of the forefathers) from Dioula. Mooré, the language of the Mossi people, is spoken by roughly half the population and has been the dominant language of the country's central plateau since the Mossi kingdoms (Wagadugu and Yatenga) rose to prominence around the 11th–12th centuries. The Mossi states maintained political continuity for over 500 years and resisted both the Mali and Songhai empires. Dioula (Jula), a Mande trade language closely related to Bambara, serves as the principal commercial lingua franca especially in the west. French, introduced during French colonial rule as French Upper Volta (1919–1960), is the sole official language. Burkina Faso has roughly 70 indigenous languages in total. The country is among the world's least developed nations, and oral tradition in Mooré remains the primary vehicle of cultural transmission.
