The Republic of Mali is a large country in northwestern Africa. It lies between the Arab world to the north and black African nations to the south. For centuries Mali has been a cultural crossroads between the two.
Mali is home to the legendary city of Timbuktu. People in other parts of the world once regarded Timbuktu as the most inaccessible place on Earth. Bamako is the capital and largest city.
Mali has an area of 478,841 square miles (1,240,192 square kilometers). The country is landlocked, meaning that it has no coastlines. It is bordered by Senegal and Mauritania on the west, Algeria on the northeast, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso on the southeast, and Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea on the south.
The northern third of the country lies within the Sahara, a vast desert. Loose sand covers most of the rest of the country. The land is largely flat, with a chain of small hills in the east and southeast. In the west are extensions of the Futa Djallon, a mountainous region that lies mainly in Guinea. Mali has two major rivers, the Niger and the Senegal. The basin of the Niger River is the country's main farming area.
Mali has a hot, dry climate. The south has a short rainy season and a long, dry summer. Temperatures there average around 80° F (27° C). The desert region in the north receives little rain, and temperatures exceed 117° F (47° C) during the day. In the winter a strong desert wind sweeps dust across the land.
Mali's plant life varies by region. The rainy south is covered in grasslands and has mahogany, kapok, and baobab trees. In contrast, the dry north has little to no vegetation.
The country is rich in wildlife, including a wide variety of monkeys, snakes, and birds. Crocodiles and hippopotamuses live in the rivers. There are also lions, panthers, hyenas, gazelles, antelopes, giraffes, and elephants.
Mali has a diverse population. The Berbers, Tuareg, Moors, and Fulani are mostly herders who raise cattle, sheep, and goats. They are always on the move in search of water and food for their animals. Groups that settle in one place and raise crops include the Bambara, Soninke, Malinké, Dogon, Voltaic, and Songhai.
French is Mali's official language, but many groups speak local languages. Bambara is the most widely used. The Moors speak Arabic. About 90 percent of Malians are Muslims, but many small groups practice traditional African religions.
Mali is one of the least densely populated countries in Africa. There are only about 22 people per square mile (9 per square kilometer). About 70 percent of the people live in small villages.
Like many other nations located along the Sahara, Mali is extremely poor. Only about 2 percent of its land is suitable for farming. In addition, the country suffers from periodic droughts that destroy crops. Nevertheless, about 80 percent of the population supports itself by farming. The major crops are millet, rice, sorghum, cotton, corn, sugarcane, and peanuts. Raising livestock also is important.
Mali's natural resources remain relatively undeveloped. The country has known deposits of the minerals bauxite, uranium, iron ore, copper, tin, and manganese. Currently, the country mines gold, diamonds, phosphate, limestone, marble, and salt. In addition, Mali has a small manufacturing sector. Factories are mostly in Bamako.
People have lived in what is now Mali for thousands of years. Ancient rock paintings and inscriptions have been found throughout the country. The remains of a human skeleton from about 5000 BC were found in the north.
As early as AD 300, settlers traded goods across the desert. Especially valuable were salt, ivory, gum, ostrich feathers, gold, and slaves. The kingdom of Ghana controlled the trade until about the 11th century.
In the 13th century the large and powerful Mali empire slowly took control of the area. The present-day country of Mali takes its name from that empire. At its peak in the 14th century, the empire controlled an enormous area of land.
The Mali empire declined in the 15th century. Its weakness enabled Songhai rulers to take over the area. During this period, the towns of Timbuktu and Djenné became major centers of trade and learning. In 1591 the Moroccan army attacked the Songhai. The Moors then controlled the region for the next two centuries.
In the late 19th century, the French conquered the land. It became a part of French West Africa. However, its borders and name changed at different times. For most of its existence the territory was known as the French Sudan.
The people of the territory began calling for independence from France. The territory's first political parties were formed in 1946. In 1959 it united with Senegal to form the Federation of Mali. The republic split apart in 1960, and Mali became independent.
Modibo Keita was elected as the first president of Mali. Keita tried to improve the country's economy by having the government run all the farms. He also restricted trade. These measures, however, only made the poor economy worse. In 1968 a military group overthrew Keita.
The group's leader was Moussa Traoré. His military government ruled the country for the next 23 years. No other political parties were allowed. Traoré did little to improve the country's weak economy. In addition, Mali suffered from several droughts, which made the population even poorer.
In 1991 a different group of military leaders overthrew Traoré. The military established a temporary government and successfully prepared the country for democracy. In 1992 the government held free elections. Alpha Oumar Konaré became president. Konaré was reelected in 1997. Population (2001 estimate), 11,009,000.
