The Flag of Niger (French: drapeau du Niger) has been the national symbol 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 roundel in the center. The flag forms one of the official national symbols of the Republic of Niger, with the coat of arms of Niger, the National Anthem ('la Nigérienne'), the coat of arms, and the motto: 'Fraternité, Travail, Progrès'. These form Article 1 of the first part of the 1999 Constitution of Niger. 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. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)