One of the first empires that emerged in the West African region and settled on the area of what is now Niger, is the Songhai Empire. The majority of the inhabitants of Niger are descendants of the nomadic Tuareg that formed large confederations and became the dominant ethnic group for most of the 18th century.
The country became independent from France in 1960, but its influence could still be felt all around, in fact the design of the
Niger National Flag is based on the French tricolor. It uses three equal horizontal bands orange (top), white, and green, and an orange rondel at the center.
A number of sources, though unofficial describes the symbolic interpretation of the colors as; the upper orange band represents the northern regions of the Sahara Desert, others refers to it as the Sahel; the central white band is for purity, and oftentimes refers to the Niger River; and the lower green band is symbolic of both hope and the fertile regions of southern Niger. The rondel or the orange circle in the center of the white band is said to represent the sun or the nation's independence.
The period after its independence from France, Niger experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when the reigning government was forced by the inhabitants to to allow multi-party elections that resulted in a democratic government in 1993. But, political infighting lay siege to the government and a coup was staged but democracy was later restored in that same year.
Even with democracy enmeshed in government, the years of uncertainty had placed Niger as one of the poorest and least developed countries of the world, with the economy based on subsistence farming.
by:
The Flagman
