During the Napoleonic Wars, defeat of the Austrians on 14 June 1800 by the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte, as part of his Italian campaign, near the village of Marengo in Piedmont, Italy. It was one of Napoleon's greatest victories which resulted in the Austrians ceding northern Italy to France.
Orange symbolizes the Sahara Desert. The orange disc represents the sun. Green recalls the country's forests. White stands for the River Niger. Effective date: 23 November 1959.