See also the Empire of Mali and the town of Mali, Guinea. The Mali Empire was an Islamic Empire of the Mandinka people in West Africa from the 14th to 17th centuries. ... Mali, often known as Mali-ville to distinguish it from the country of Mali, is a town in northern Guinea on the edge of the Tamgué Massif. ...

The Republic of Mali (République du Mali) is a land-locked nation in West Africa. It is the second largest country among West African nations. It borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its straight borders on the north stretch into the centre of the Sahara desert, while the country's south, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. Formerly French Sudan, the country is named after the Empire of Mali. West Africa is the region of western Africa generally considered to include these countries: Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Côte dIvoire (Ivory Coast) Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Chad, Mauritania, and... The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, or Algeria, is a nation in north Africa, and the second largest country on the African continent. ... Niger is a landlocked sub-Saharan country in Western Africa situated north of Nigeria, east of Mali, and south of Algeria and Libya, named after the Niger river. ... Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation of western Africa. ... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... The Republic of Guinea (République de Guinée) is a nation in northwest Africa. ... The Republic of Senegal is a country south of the Senegal River in West Africa. ... The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa. ... The Sahara is the worlds second largest desert (second to Antarctica), over 9,000,000 km² (3,500,000 mi²), located in northern Africa and is 2. ... The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4000 km). ... The Senegal River, in West Africa, forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania. ... French Sudan (Fr. ... The Mali Empire was an Islamic Empire of the Mandinka people in West Africa from the 14th to 17th centuries. ...

Large flag of Mali Image originally derived from the public domain flags of the CIA World Factbook. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... (In Detail)
National motto: Un peuple, un but, une foi (French: One people, one goal, one faith)
Official language	French (official), Bambara, others
Capital	Bamako
President	Amadou Toumani Touré
Prime Minister	Ousmane Issoufi Maïga
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 23rd 1,240,000 km² 1.6%
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density	Ranked 68th 11,340,480 10.9/km²
Independence  - Date	From France September 22, 1960
Currency	CFA Franc
Time zone	UTC 0
National anthem	Pour l'Afrique et pour toi, Mali (For Africa and for You, Mali)
Internet TLD	.ml
Calling Code	223

Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Mali was adopted on March 1, 1961. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Bambara, also known as Bamanankan, is a language spoken in Mali by as many six million people. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Bamako, population about 1 500,000 ( 2004), is the capital of Mali. ... List of Heads of State of Mali Affiliations:- ADM = Adema Alliance pour la Démocratie en Mali-Parti Pan-Africain pour la Liberté, la Solidarité et la Justice (Alliance for Democracy in Mali-Pan-African Party for Liberty, Solidarity and Justice) -centrist CCD = Coalition for Change and Democracy PARENA = Party... Amadou Toumani Touré Amadou Toumani Touré (b. ... Alternative meaning: Prime Minister (band) A prime minister is the leading member of the cabinet of the top level government in a parliamentary system of government of a country, alternatively A prime minister is an official in a presidential system or semi-presidential system whose duty is to execute the... Ousmane Issoufi Maïga (born 1945 near Gao, Mali) is the prime minister of Mali. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... In the most common sense of the word, a population is the collection of people—or organisms of a particular species—living in a given geographic area. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... Independence is autonomous self-government of a country by its residents and indigenous population. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... The countries using the CFA franc The CFA franc (in French: franc CFA, or just franc in everyday conversation if no ambiguity is possible) is a currency used in 12 formerly French-ruled African countries, as well as in Guinea-Bissau (former Portuguese colony) and in Equatorial Guinea (former Spanish... -1... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... Pour lAfrique et pour toi (French: For Africa and for you, Mali) is the national anthem of Mali. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of which Internet domain names consist of. ... .ml is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Mali. ...

History

Main article: History of Mali Malians express great pride in their ancestry. ...

The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France on September 22, 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 with a transitional government, and in 1992 when Mali's first democratic presidential election was held. Upon his reelection in 1997, President Konaré pushed through political and economic reforms and fought corruption. In 2002 he was succeeded in democratic elections by Amadou Toumani Touré. The Republic of Senegal is a country south of the Senegal River in West Africa. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... The Mali Federation was a country in West Africa. ... Amadou Toumani Touré Amadou Toumani Touré (b. ...

Politics

Mali's constitution provides for a multi-party democracy, with the only restriction being a prohibition against parties based on ethnic, religious, regional, or gender lines. The National Assembly is the sole legislative arm of the government. It currently consists of 147 members. Representation is apportioned according to the population of administrative districts. The government has a 5 year term.

Regions

Main article: Regions of Mali Mali is divided into eight regions, each sharing the name with its capital: Gao Kayes Kidal Koulikoro Mopti Ségou Sikasso Tombouctou The national capital comprises the Bamako Capital District. ...

Mali is divided into nine regions, including the capital district of Bamako: A region can be any area that has some unifying feature. ... The Capital District (or Capital-Saratoga Area) is an unofficial term used to refer to a four-county area of eastern New York. ...

• Bamako Capital District
• Gao
• Kayes
• Kidal
• Koulikoro
• Mopti
• Ségou
• Sikasso
• Tombouctou

Koulikoro is a region in Mali. ... Mopti is the 5th region of Mali. ... Ségou is a region in Mali, whose capital is the town of Ségou. ... Sikasso is the south-most region of Mali. ... Tombouctou is the large northern-most region of Mali, comprised mostly of the Southwestern section of the Sahara desert. ...

Geography

Map of Mali

Main article: Geography of Mali map of Mali, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF File links The following pages link to this file: Mali Geography of Mali List of cities in Mali Image:Djenne-locmap2. ... map of Mali, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF File links The following pages link to this file: Mali Geography of Mali List of cities in Mali Image:Djenne-locmap2. ... Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N, 4 00 W Map references: Africa Area: total: 1. ...

Mali is landlocked and has a subtropical to arid climate. It is mostly flat, rising to rolling northern plains covered by sand, with savanna around the Niger River in the south. The hills of the Air Massif and Djado Plateau lie in the northeast. Most of the country lies in the Sahara Desert, which produces a hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons and leads to recurring droughts. The nation has considerable natural resources, with gold, uranium, phosphates, kaolin, salt and limestone being most widely exploited. A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... A dune in the Egyptian desert In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Savanna is a grassland dotted with trees, and occurs in several types of biomes. ... The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4000 km). ... The Air Massif or Aïr Mountains (Azbine) are located in Northern Niger within the Sahara desert. ... The Djado Plateau lies in the Sahara, in north eastern Niger. ... The Sahara is the worlds second largest desert (second to Antarctica), over 9,000,000 km² (3,500,000 mi²), located in northern Africa and is 2. ... A dry, dusty wind blowing south-west and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea from December to February. ... A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Uranium, U, 92 Chemical series Actinides Period, Block 7 , f Density, Hardness 19050 kg/m3, ND Appearance silvery-white metal Atomic properties Atomic weight 238. ... In chemistry, a phosphate is a polyatomic ion or radical consisting of one phosphorus atom and four oxygen. ... Kaolin Kaolinite (Aluminium Silicate Hydroxide) Kaolinite is a mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. ... For other meanings of the word salt see table salt or salt (disambiguation). ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...

See List of cities in Mali This is a list of cities in Mali: Bamako Bla Djenné (Jenne) Gao Gargando Gossi Hombori Kayes Kidal Kita Koulikoro Mopti Nioro du Sahel Sadiola Segou Sikasso Taoudenni Tombouctou (Timbuktu) Categories: Lists of cities | Mali ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Mali Malis per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $270 (1998) places it among the worlds 10 poorest nations. ...

Mali is among the poorest countries in the world, with 65% of its land area desert or semidesert. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River. About 10% of the population is nomadic and some 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Industrial activity is concentrated on processing farm commodities. Mali is heavily dependent on foreign aid and vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices for cotton, its main export. In 1997, the government continued its successful implementation of an IMF-recommended structural adjustment program that is helping the economy grow, diversify, and attract foreign investment. Mali's adherence to economic reform, and the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994, has pushed up economic growth. Several multinational corporations increased gold mining operations in 1996-1998, and the government anticipates that Mali will become a major Sub-Saharan gold exporter in the next few years. The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4000 km). ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing global financial system‘s current trade account balances of member states. ... Structural adjustment is a term used by the International Monetary Fund for the changes it recommends for developing countries. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Mali Malis population consists of diverse Sub-Saharan ethnic groups, sharing similar historic, cultural, and religious traditions. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Mali

• Architecture of Mali- Great Mosque of Djenné
• List of writers from Mali
• Music of Mali
• Languages of Mali

The Great Mosques signature trio of minarets overlooks the central market of Djenné. ... African Writers (by country): This is a list of literary figures from the African continent, listed by country, including poets, novelists, childrens writers, essayists, and scholars, listed by country. ... The music of Mali is dominated by forms derived from the ancient Mande Empire. ... The official language of Mali is French, but Bambara is the most used language (by about 80% of the population). ...

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Mali
• Transportation in Mali
• Military of Mali
• Foreign relations of Mali
• Reporters without borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2002: Rank 43 out of 139 countries (2 way tie)

Telephones - main lines in use: 45,000 (2000) Telephones - mobile cellular: 40,000 (2001) Telephone system: domestic system unreliable but improving; provides only minimal service domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress international: satellite earth stations - 2... Railways: total: 729 km (linked to Senegals rail system through Kayes) (2001) narrow gauge: 729 km 1. ... Malis armed forces number some 7,000 and are under the control of the Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans. ... Since independence in 1960, Malian governments have shifted from an ideological commitment to socialism and a policy alignment with communist states to a pragmatism that judges issues and their merits, welcomes assistance from all sources, and encourages private investment. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB ( French: Reporters sans frontières, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to freedom of the press. ...

External links

• Mali Paper Money (http://www.numismondo.com/pm/mli/) - 1960 to 1984 issues.
• CIA Factbook on Mali (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ml.html)
• Images of Mali (http://www.travel-images.com/mali.html)