We're on to the Ns for our Cooking Around the World Adventure . Here we go with Niger - not to be confused with Nigeria... that's up next! A few facts about Niger... The official language of Niger is not Swahili but French. The name Niger is derived from the phrase gher n-gheren which means “river among rivers,” in the Tamashek language. The country of Niger is one of the hottest countries in the world. The Nigerienne flag is perfectly square in shape and the colors of orange, white and green stand for the Sahara desert, purity and innocence, and green vegetation and fruitful agricultural areas of the country respectively. The remains of the dinosaur ‘Nigersaurus’, better known for its long neck and hammerhead skull was discovered in Niger. Slavery was declared illegal in Niger in May 2004. The land of Niger is slightly less than twice the size of the Texas. On August 3, 1960 Niger became independent from France and was under military rule till 1991. ...