Niger Flag

The flag of Niger has three equal sized horizontal stripes. The top stripe is orange. The middle stripe is white and the bottom one is green. In the center of the white stripe, and at Niger’s flag center, is an orange circle.

The flag of Niger has its own meaning. The orange represents the Sahara Desert, which covers more than half of the country of Niger. White symbolizes purity and innocence and the green represents the River Niger, and the lush vegetation and fertile agricultural areas of the country. These are the three main parts of the country of Niger. The orange circle symbolizes the sun and also the readiness of Niger to defend its freedom.

The Niger flag was enacted on November 23, 1959. The flag has not been modified since its date of inception in 1959. Niger was granted its independence from France on August 3, 1960. The neighboring country of Ivory Coast flies a flag that is very similar to Niger's, except that the flag’s stripes are vertical. Both Niger and Ivory Coast were considered French colonies and were closely linked economically as well as historically. This flag can be flown both nationally and civilly by its citizens.

The Hausa states ruled southern Niger from the tenth century to 1804, when Usman dan Fodio created the Fulani sultanate of Sokoto. In the fourteenth century, the Turaeg kingdom of Takedda was created west of the Air Mountains, succeeding from the Trans Saharan trade in copper. The Sultanate of Agadez came after Takedda. During medieval times, the Kanem Bornu Empire ruled the eastern part of Niger, while the western part was ruled by the Songhai Empire. Scottish explorer Mungo Park was the first European to gain access to Niger in 1795. A French expedition came in 1891. , but the Turaeg did not gain French rule until 1922, when Niger became a French colony. In 1960, Niger was granted its independence. Hamani Diori was Niger’s first president. In 1975, Colonel Seyni Kountche launched a coup against Diori, and created a military dictatorship that went until his death in 1987. From 1990 to 1995 Turaegs had a civil war with the separate northern Niger.

Individuals can find more information about the flags of Niger from one of several websites that are available on the internet.