Banner o Niger
The Banner o Niger haes been the naitional seembol o the Wast African Republic o Niger since 1959, a year prior tae its formal independence frae Fraunce. It uises the naitional colors o orange, white an green, in equal horizontal baunds, wi an orange rondel in the center. The banner forms ane o the offeecial naitional seembols o the Republic o Niger, wi the coat o airms o Niger, the Naitional Anthem ("la Nigérienne"), the crest (uised in the center o the coat o airms), an the devise: "Fraternité, Travail, Progrès". These form Article 1 o the first pairt o the 1999 Constitution o Niger.
Legal definition[eedit | eedit soorce]
Prior tae independence frae French Wast Africae, the banner o Niger wis adoptit bi the Territorial Assembly o the Niger Colony on 23 November 1959, shortly afore proclamation o the Republic athin the French Community on 18 December 1959. The banner wis designed in 1958. It wis retained upon independence in 1960 an haes remained unchynged through the 1999 Fift Constitution
Seembolism[eedit | eedit soorce]
A number o sources hae described the seembolic intent o the flag, although official sources are silent upon this. A common interpretation is that the upper orange baund represents the northren regions o the Sahara Desert (though this is sometimes said tae be the Sahel), the center white baund represents purity (though this is sometimes said tae be the River Niger), an the lawer green baund represents baith hope an the fertile regions o soothren Niger. The orange circle in the center baund is said tae represent the sun or independence.
Niger's banner is a tricolour, in common wi ither umwhile dependencies an colonies o Fraunce.
Ratio[eedit | eedit soorce]
The flag's traditional portrayal wi an unuisual aff-square ratio is o unkent significance an is no uised consistently in print applications o the Nigerien government.
References[eedit | eedit soorce]
- see Flags of the World, which cites published (foreign) sources for this. Other examples include Flags of the World 101
Susan Rasmussen Moving beyond Protest in Tuareg Ichumar Musical Performance. Ethnohistory 2006 53(4):633-655 describes Tuareg performers in orange, saying "orange symbolizes the Sahara desert" and relating it to the colors of the Nigerien flag.
- The FOTW for a discussion o this, an the follaein government wabsteids for examples o various ratios being uised offeecial capacity:
- Portions of this article were translated from the German language Wikipedia article de:Flagge Nigers,, (consulted 2008-07-25).
- W. Smith, O. Neubecker: Die Zeichen der Menschen und Völker: Unsere Welt in Fahnen und Flaggen. Reich Verlag Luzern, 1975, ISBN 3-7243-0115-4
- Flag of Niger at FOTW, (consulted 2008-07-25).
|Wikimedia Commons haes media relatit tae Flags of Niger.|