Timeline: Burkina Faso

A chronology of key events :

1919 - Upper Volta becomes separate constituent territory of French West Africa.

National Guards band: 1980s saw a rash of military coups

1932 - Upper Volta divided up between Cote d'Ivoire and French Sudan.

1947 - Upper Volta re-established as a separate territory within French West Africa.

1958 - Upper Volta becomes autonomous republic within the French Community.

Independence

1960 - Upper Volta becomes independent with Maurice Yameogo as president.

1966 - Yameogo toppled in a military coup led by Sangoule Lamizana following unrest over a government austerity programme.

1970 - New constitution approved in a national referendum allows Lamizana to remain in power until 1975, when he would be replaced by an elected president; Gerard Ouedraogo appointed prime minister.

1974 - Maurice Lamizana returns to the political scene by ousting Prime Minister Ouedraogo and dissolving parliament.

1977 - New multi-party constitution promulgated.

Coups

1978 - Maurice Lamizana chosen following multi-party elections.

1980 - Lamizana ousted in coup led by Saye Zerbo.

Cotton production is a mainstay of the economy

1982 - Zerbo overthrown in coup led by Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo following industrial unrest.

1983 - Zerbo toppled in coup led by Thomas Sankara who adopts a policy of nonalignment and close relations with Ghana and Libya.

1984 - Upper Volta renamed Burkina Faso.

1987 - Thomas Sankara ousted and executed in coup led by his close aide, Blaise Campaore.

1990 - Campaore introduces limited democratic reforms.

1991 - Campaore re-elected without opposition under a new constitution.

Return to democracy

1992 - Campaore's Organisation for Popular Democracy-Labour Movement wins a majority of seats in the first multi-party parliamentary elections since 1978.

1996 - Meningitis kills 4,000.

1998 - Campaore wins presidential election by a landslide.

1999 June - General strike over economic grievances and alleged human rights violations.

1999 August - State-owned mining company Soremib announces the closure of the country's biggest gold mine.

1999 - Independent inquiry into 1998 death of journalist Norbert Zongo concludes he was a victim of political assassination.

2000 December - Government agrees to set up UN-run body to monitor weapons imports after allegations that it has been involved in smuggling arms to rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola.

2001 - Meningitis epidemic kills more than 1,500.

2002 October - Neighbouring Ivory Coast accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering dissident Ivorian soldiers. Burkina Faso raises concerns about attacks on Burkinabes in Ivory Coast after September's Ivorian military uprising.

2004 April - Military tribunal tries 13 people accused of plotting coup against President Compaore in October 2003. Army captain Luther Ouali jailed for 10 years for masterminding plot.

2005 November - President Compaore wins a third straight term in office.

2006 January-April - Meningitis outbreak kills more than 600 people.

2006 December - Burkina Faso postpones a regional economic summit after deadly gun battles between police and soldiers in the capital.

2007 May - The ruling party wins a majority in parliamentary polls.

2008 April - Two-day general strike follows weeks of protests about high living costs and call for wage increases.

2009 April - Parliament passes a law requiring at least 30% of candidates put forward for election by political parties to be women.