Niger: Flag and Facts
Niger's flag has orange, white, and green horizontal bands of equal size, with an orange circle sitting at the center of the white band.
- Official name
- Republic of Niger
- Capital
- Niamey
- Region
- Western Africa
- Population
- 27 million (2025)
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc
- Area
- 1,267,000 km² (489,191 sq mi)
- People
- Nigerien
- Calling code
- +227
- Highest point
- Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m
- Independence
- 3 August 1960 (from France)
- National symbols
- zebu
About Niger
The orange stripe stands for the Sahara in the north. White means purity and innocence, and green covers hope, the farmland of the south and west, and the Niger River. That orange circle is the sun, and it also honors the sacrifices of the people.
Herders from the desert north and farmers from the south both settled the region. In the 14th century, the Tuareg kingdom of Takedda was a major trading power in the north. Britain and France carved up the middle Niger River area in the late 19th century, and France faced strong pushback, including a Tuareg uprising in 1916 and 1917. Independence came on 3 August 1960, followed by decades of single-party or military rule and several coups. Most of the country is desert plains and dunes, and the people are young: the median age is just 15.3 years.
Did you know?
- The zebu, a humped breed of cattle, is Niger's national symbol.
- Niger never dips low: its bottom elevation, along the Niger River, is 200 meters.
- Niger shares borders with seven countries, including Algeria, Libya, Chad, and Nigeria.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Niger
What is the capital of Niger?
Niamey, with about 1.4 million people.
Is Niger landlocked?
Yes. It has no coastline, and seven neighbors surround it, with Nigeria and Benin to the south and Libya and Algeria to the north.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.