Recent results on the properties of narrow gap group III-nitrides and their alloys are reviewed. It is shown that InN with the energy gap of 0:7 eV exhibits classical characteristics of a narrow gap semiconductor with strongly nonparabolic conduction band and an energy dependent electron e ective mass. With the new discovery, the direct band gaps of the group III-nitride alloys span an extremely wide energy range from near infrared in InN to deep ultraviolet in AlN o ering possibilities for new device applications of these materials. We also discuss properties of dilute group III-N-V alloys in which incorporation of a small amount of nitrogen results in a dramatic band gap reduction. All the unusual properties of the alloys are well described by a band anticrossing model that considers an interaction between localized nitrogen states and the extended states of the conduction band. ?