Mali

**Mali** (Bambara:  ߡߊߟߌ, Fula: 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, ), officially the **Republic of Mali** (; Bambara: ߡߊߟߌ ߞߊ ߝߊߛߏߖߊߡߊߣߊ); Fula: 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, ) is a landlocked country (a country entirely surrounded by land) in West Africa. Mali is bordered by Algeria on the North, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Physical features of Mali include the Sahara desert in the north, with the Niger River and Sénégal River in the southern part of the country. As of a July 2021 estimate, Mali had a population of approximately  million people. Mali has a total area of . Most of the people live in the southern part of the country. Mali's capital and most populated city is Bamako.

## History

The Mandé people founded several kingdoms in the Sahel. This was a big area that included Mali. These kingdoms included the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire. Timbuktu was an important city in these empires because a lot of trade across the Sahara Desert went there. Timbuktu was also a good place for learning. The Songhai Empire became much smaller after a Moroccan attack in 1591.

France invaded Mali in 1880. After that, France owned Mali. France gave Mali the names _French Sudan_ and the _Sudanese Republic_. At some times it also included other nearby countries. In early 1959, Mali and Senegal united and they became the Mali Federation. They became independent from France on June 20, 1960. Senegal left the Mali Federation a few months later. The **Republic of Mali**, with Modibo Keïta as the first president, left the French Community on September 22, 1960.

There was a coup in Mali in 1968. Modibo Keïta lost his job and was put in prison. Mali was then ruled by Moussa Traoré until 1991. He treated the country badly, and so there was another coup in 1991 after protests against the government, and a new constitution was made.  The leader of the country was then Amadou Toumani Touré.

In 1992, Alpha Oumar Konaré won Mali's first democratic election.  President Konaré won again in 1997 and he made big political and economic changes.  In 2002, Amadou Toumani Touré won the election and he started his second term as head of state.  He was a retired general and was the military leader of the 1991 coup.  Today, Mali is one of the least stable countries in Africa.

## Regions and cercles

Mali is divided into 10 regions and 1 district. The country is further divided into 49 cercles, containing 288 "arrondissements" and 703 communes.

The regions and district are:
- Gao
- Kayes
- Kidal
- Koulikoro
- Ménaka
- Mopti
- Ségou
- Sikasso
- Taoudenni
- Tombouctou (Timbuktu)
- Bamako (capital district)

## Geography

Mali is the world's 24th-largest country. The area of the country is 1,240,000 km² (478,734 mi²). Mali and South Africa are about the same size. It is two times bigger than Texas.

Most of Mali is part of the Sahara Desert. Mali is does not have any sea coast. It is landlocked.  Mali does not have many mountains. Flat areas in the north are covered by sand. Savanna is around the Niger River in the south. The climate is dry. The dry season is hot and dusty. There are many natural resources in Mali, including gold, uranium, phosphates, kaolinite, salt, and limestone.

## Economy

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. 65% of its land area is desert or something similar. There have been several long droughts over the last hundred years. Therefore, most economic activity is near the Niger River.

About 10% of the people are nomads and 80% of workers have jobs in farming and fishing. Industry is mainly to process farm products. Women also do pottery and the pots are bought and taken to markets. Many foreign tourists like the traditional methods which the women use to make the pots.

Mali's main export is cotton, so if the price of cotton changes, Mali's economy is affected a lot. Mali also receives a lot of financial help from other countries.

In 1997, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended a programme for changing the economy and the government followed this. Several international companies started exploring for larger amounts of gold in 1996-1998, and the Malian government thinks that Mali will become an important gold exporter soon.

## Demographics

There are several ethnic and religious groups in Mali.
- Mandé (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke): 50%
- Peul (Fula/Fulani): 17%
- Voltaic: 12%
- Songhai: 6%
- Tuareg and Moor: 10%
- Others: 5%

These religions are common in Mali.
- Islam: 90%
- Traditional Mali Beliefs: 9%
- Christianity: 1%

## Culture

About 90% of people from Mali follow Sunni Islam, but they do not always forget their traditional religions. Muslims have their own schooling system. The number of Muslims from Mali who go to Mecca is increasing and some study in Arab countries. About 1% of the people are Christians. When Mali was under French control, Christian teachers were sent to Islamic areas.

The language of Mali under French rule was French, but now not many people outside towns can read or write this language. However, about 60% of the people use other languages well. Many people can read and write in Bamanakan (the most popular spoken language). This language has its own alphabet, called N'Ko. Other people can read and write in Arabic, after going to an Islamic school. One of the oldest universities in the world is Sankore University in Timbuktu.  It began in the 1400s.

Famous musicians from Mali include kora player Toumani Diabaté, and the guitarist Ali Farka Touré, who has died.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Republic of Mali
- **common name**: Mali
- **image flag**: Flag of Mali.svg
- **image coat**: Seal of Mali.svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms of Mali, Emblem
- **image map**: Mali_(orthographic_projection).svg
- **national motto**:

- **official languages**: **13 national languages**
*Bambara
*Bobo
*Bozo
*Dogon
*Fulani
*Hassaniyya Arabic
*Kassonke
*Maninke
*Minyanka
*Senufo
*Songhay
*Soninke
*Tamasheq
- **languages type**: Working language
- **languages**: French language, French
- **demonym**: Demographics of Mali, Malian
- **capital**: Bamako
- **largest city**: Bamako
- **government type**: Unitary state, Unitary Semi-presidential system, semi-presidential republic under a provisional government
- **leader title1**: List of heads of state of Mali, Interim President
- **leader name1**: Assimi Goïta
- **leader title2**: Vice President of Mali, Interim Vice President
- **leader name2**: _Vacant_
- **leader title3**: List of heads of government of Mali, Prime Minister
- **leader name3**: Abdoulaye Maïga
- **leader title4**: List of Presidents of the National Assembly of Mali, President of the National Assembly
- **leader name4**: Lassana N’Diaye
- **legislature**: National Assembly (Mali), National Assembly
- **area rank**: 23rd
- **area km2**: 1,240,192
- **area sq mi**: 478,839
- **percent water**: 1.6
- **population estimate**: 20,250,833
- **population estimate rank**: 59th
- **population estimate year**: 2020
- **population census**: 19,329,841
- **population census year**: November 2018
- **population density km2**: 11.7
- **population density sq mi**: 30.3
- **population density rank**: 215th
- **gdp ppp**: $44.329 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2018
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $2,271
- **gdp nominal**: $17.407 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2018
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $891
- **established event1**: Sudanese Republic established
- **established date1**: 24 November 1958
- **sovereignty type**: History of Mali, Independence
- **established event2**: from France<sup>a</sup>
- **established date2**: 20 June 1960
- **established event3**: as Mali
- **established date3**: 22 September 1960
- **gini year**: 2010
- **gini**: 33.0
- **hdi year**: 2019
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi**: 0.434
- **hdi rank**: 184th
- **currency**: West African CFA franc
- **currency code**: XOF
- **time zone**: Greenwich Mean Time, GMT
- **drives on**: right
- **calling code**: +223
- **cctld**: .ml
- **footnote a**: As the Sudanese Republic, with Senegal as the Mali Federation.