| Republic of the Niger | |
| Use: | 111000 |
| Proportion: | 6:7 (by convention; see below.) |
| Design: | A horizontal tricolour of orange, white and green; charged with an orange circle in the centre. |
The flag of Niger (French: drapeau du Niger) has been the national flag of the Republic of the Niger since 1959, a year prior to its formal independence from French West Africa. It uses the national colors of orange, white and green, in equal horizontal bands, with an orange circle in the center. The flag forms one of the official national symbols of the Republic of the Niger, along with the coat of arms, the National Anthem ("The Honor of the Fatherland"), and the national motto: "Fraternité, Travail, Progrès".
Prior to the independence of Niger from French West Africa, the flag of Niger was adopted by the Territorial Assembly of the Niger Colony on 23 November 1959, shortly before the proclamation of the Republic within the French Community on 18 December 1959. The flag was designed in 1958. It was retained upon independence in 1960 and has remained unchanged through to the 2010 Constitution.[1]
A number of sources have described the symbolic intent of the flag, although official sources have yet to confirm. Common interpretations are that the upper orange band represents the northern regions of the Sahara Desert, or the Sahel, the center white band represents purity, or the Niger River, and the lower green band represents both hope and the fertile regions of southern Niger, the orange disc in the center band is thought to stand for the sun or independence.[2]
The flag's traditional portrayal with an unusual 6:7 ratio is of unknown significance and is not used consistently in print applications of the Nigerien government.[3] The ratio is not explicitly specified in the Constitution of Niger.
| Flag | Years of use | Ratio | Government | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902–1904 | 2:3 | As part of Senegambia and Niger | The French tricolor was used as the official flag of Niger for most of its history as a colony. | |
| 1904–1922 | As part of Upper Senegal and Niger | |||
| 1922–1959 | Colony of Niger | |||
| 1959–present | 6:7 | The current flag, consisting of a horizontal triband of orange, white and green; charged with an orange circle in the center, was adopted as the official flag of the Colony of Niger on 23 November 1959. It has remained the national flag of the Republic of the Niger since its independence in 1960. | ||
| Republic of the Niger | ||||