Mali

Official Sites of Mali

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.


Members of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, the ruling military junta of Mali from 2020 to 2021. The two men in front are Ismaël Wagué (left), spokesman, and colonel Malick Diaw (right), 1st vice-president.
Image: Kassim Traore (VOA)



Government
Mali is currently under military rule following coups in 2020 and 2021, with Colonel Assimi Goïta serving as the interim president. The junta has postponed elections originally scheduled for February 2024, citing technical challenges, raising concerns about the country's transition to civilian governance. Additionally, tensions with Tuareg rebel groups in the north have reignited conflicts, undermining the 2015 Algiers peace agreement.

The government of Mali operates under a presidential system where the president serves as the chief of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and as head of the Council of Ministers. The president holds executive authority and presides over cabinet meetings, shaping national policy and ensuring governance.
The prime minister, appointed by the president, acts as the head of government and a key member of the cabinet, coordinating its activities. Together, the president and the cabinet of ministers propose and implement policies, with the cabinet adopting draft laws for submission to the National Assembly, which is responsible for legislative approval.



Many government websites seem to be down or unavailable. This might be related to the unclear political situation in Bamako, where an army mutiny took place in March 2021.

Internet pages of Mali
Official government websites.


Government websites

Présidence de la République du Mali
The official website of the presidency of the Republic of Mali. The site provides information about the president and the republic.

Primature
Website of the office of the Malian Prime Minister.

Assemblée Nationale du Mali
Website of the National Assembly of Mali.

Ministère de la Justice
Mali's Ministry of Justice.


Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
(The account of Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been suspended.)

Diplomatic Missions
Embassy of Mali
Mali's Embassy in Washington with visa, country and travel information.
U.S. Embassy in Mali
The U.S. Embassy in Mali.
Mali Embassies Abroad
Wikipedia list of Mali's Diplomatic Missions.
List of diplomatic missions in Mali
Wikipedia's list of foreign representations in Mali.

Mali visa applications
Information on Visas for Mali.


Statistics
Institut National de la Statistique
The Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) in Mali collects, compiles, analyzes and disseminates information on the Malian economy and society.
 

Maps ofMali



Map of Mali (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org

Maps

Map of Mali
Political and administrative Map of Mali.

Political Map of West Africa
Map of countries of West Africa.

Political Map of Africa
The 54 countries of Africa.

Relief map of Africa
A relief map of Africa.

Historical Map of Africa
A map of Africa from the 19th century.

 

News of Mali

Online News from Mali

Insecurity linked to the threat of terrorism, combined with political instability, compromises journalists' access to information. The release of French journalist Olivier Dubois in 2023, after 711 days of captivity, was not a signal that the risks faced by media professionals in Mali were reduced. ^[RSF]


Print/Online

L'Essor
State-owned national daily published in Bamako provides national and international news. (in French)

aBamako
Mali news in French.

Mali Actu
Mali news (in French)

Malijet
Mali news website in French.

Maliweb.net
Mali Portal with current news.

Agence Malienne de Presse (AMAP)
Malian press agency.


Radio/TV
Office de la Radiodiffusion Television du Mali (ORTM)
Mali's public television and radio, programmes are in French and local languages. (in French)

Africable
Africable is a free-to-air, French-language, pan-African television station based in Bamako, Mali.


Mali in International News

Africa News Mali
Mali Headlines by Africa News.

Le Monde: Mali
Mali news by the French daily afternoon newspaper.

Sahelien
Regional news site created in spring 2014 by Malian, Nigerian, Burkina Faso and American journalists.

Mass media in Mali
Wikipedia entry for mass media in Mali.

 

Arts & Culture ofMali



Bambara statuettes in the museum Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris.
Image: Anonymous

Arts & Culture

Ministère de la Culture
Official site of the Ministry of Culture provides information on Malian culture. (currently offline)


Mali Gallery
Album photos du Mali
Interesting Mali images from a tour through Dogon country on a motorbike.

Bamako
Bamako Photos at Wikimedia Commons.

Mali Magic
A Google Arts & Culture page about the cultural background of Mali, including information about the Timbuktu Manuscripts.


Music of Mali
Songs and History of the Mande
Manding songs and traditions, traditional music of Mali.

Festival on the Niger
Art, music and dance festival at the city of Segou.

Griots
A Griot is a traditional West African storyteller, historian, and musician, who serves as a custodian of oral history and culture. In Mali, Griots (also known as djeli) play a vital role in preserving the legacy of the Mali Empire and other historical narratives through spoken word, poetry, and music. Griots often accompany their performances with instruments like the kora (a 21-string lute-bridge-harp), passing on ancestral knowledge and societal values across generations. Their craft blends entertainment with education, ensuring that the cultural heritage of Mali and West Africa remains alive.

Griot
Wikipedia page about griot, a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician.

Mamadou Diabate
Malian kora musician, Mamadou Diabate is a member of the Mandinka West African jeli (musician caste) family.

Samba Touré
Official website of the Malian singer and guitarist.


"Heritage and Creativity" was the theme of the Ségou'Art 2023 festival, which took place as part of the Festival sur le Niger (Festival on the Niger) in the Malian city of Ségou.
Image: MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko

 

Business & Economy of Mali


Terminal building of the Modibo Keita International Airport (BKO) in Bamako.
Image: Open Journalism Network

Business & Economy

Mali depends on gold mining and agricultural exports for revenue. Economic activity is largely confined to the riverine area irrigated by the Niger River. About 10% of the country's population is nomadic and about 80% of the labor force is engaged in farming and fishing. Mali is among the 25 poorest countries in the world.

Mali is a country with nearly half of the highly dispersed population living in extreme poverty. Approximately 60 percent of people live in rural areas and most Malians work in agriculture. Economic activity is concentrated near the Niger River and 65% of the total land area is desert or semidesert. ^[USAID]


Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Central Bank of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (in French)

IZF.net, le portail de la Zone Franc CFA
Information about business and investment in the African countries within the monetary system of the Franc Zone - CFA. (in French)

Banque malienne de solidarité
The Malian housing bank was founded in 1996.

National Federation of the Craftsmen of Mali
Facebook page of the FNAM, the Fédération nationale des artisans du Mali, an organisation to support craftsmen of Mali.


Companies

Mining
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is a Canadian-based gold mining company that operates two different mines in Western Mali, the Loulo and Gounkoto mines.

B2Gold
B2Gold Corporation is a gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company runs exploration projects in various countries and it operates the Fekola Mine in Mali.

Compass Gold
Compass Gold Corporation is a Canada-based Gold and diamond mining company operating in Mali.

Resolute Mining
Australia-based Resolute Mining Limited operates two gold mines, one in Mali and one in Australia.

Roscan Gold
Roscan Gold Corporation is a Canadian gold exploration company operating in West Mali.

WARABA
Canada-based Waraba Gold Limited is engaged in the acquisition and valuation of gold properties in Canada and Mali.


Cotton
Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (C.M.D.T.)
CMDT is a semi-public limited company responsible for managing Mali's cotton production sector

Mail
La Poste du Mali
Mali's postal service.

Telecom
Afribone Mali SA
Afribone is an internet service provider in Mali.

Sotelma
Sotelma is a private telecommunications company in Mali based in Bamako.


Directories

D&B Business Directory
Manufacturing Companies in Mali.

Malipages
Mali directory and job portal.

MaliYP
Mali's online business directory.

List of companies of Mali
Wikipedia's list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country.


Transportation

Aéroports du Mali
Aéroports du Mali (ADM) is a state-owned airport operating company of the Republic of Mali with its headquarters in the capital Bamako.

Dakar–Niger Railway
The only railroad in Mali is the Dakar–Niger Railway, which connects Mali's capital Bamako with Dakar, the capital of Senegal and home to the Autonomous Port of Dakar. In October 2003, Senegal and Mali privatized the railway. ^[Wp]


Boats, people and goods in the harbor and at the market in Mopti on the banks of the Niger.
Image: Erwin Bolwidt

 

Tourism in Mali



Sangha is a rural commune in the Mopti Region of Mali. The village with many temples and shrines is known as the center of the traditional Dogon religion and as a base for visitors to local Dogon villages.
Image: ODI Global

Destination Mali - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Mali.
Tourism in Mali is focused primarily on its cultural sites.


Tourist Office of Mali
Tourism Mali page with information about the country.

Tourism & Travel
Some information about tourism in Mali from the Malian Embassy in the USA.


Mali
Travel guide at Wikivoyage.

Mali Journeys
Beautiful private page about Mali.

Tour operator
Mali Tours
Mali Tours by Against the Compass.

Mali Tours and Travel
Mali travels by Young Pioneer Tours.

Mali vacations
Mali vacations by Responsible Travel.

Mali International Travel Information
Travel warnings by the U.S. State Department.



Daily life at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) village in Mopti, central region of Mali. The village is located just outside of Mopti and hosts around 40 families, most of whom fled the Timbuktu region in 2012. .
Image: UN Photo
 
 

What is Mali famous for?



The Sankoré Madrasa, one of three medieval mosques and centers of learning in Timbuktu, the desert town in the Sahara, known as the "City of 333 saints".
Image: Johannes Zielcke



What is Mali known for?

A list of things the West African nation is famous for:

• The Timbuktu Manuscripts
  The Timbuktu Manuscripts are a vast collection of historical texts and documents, primarily written in Arabic and various African languages, dating back as far as the 13th century. These manuscripts originate from the desert city of Timbuktu, a medieval center of learning, trade, and Islamic culture during the height of the Mali Empire and later the Songhai Empire. The collections include manuscripts on art, medicine, philosophy, and science, as well as copies of the Quran. ^[WP]
  
  
  
• 
  The Great Mosque of Djenne is built in Sudano-Sahelian architecture style. It is the largest mudbrick building in sub-Saharan Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ^[Unesco]
  Image: Carsten ten Brink
  
  
  
  
  Mali Empire
  The Mali Empire (c. 1235–1600 CE) was a powerful West African state renowned for its wealth, cultural achievements, and influence across the region. Its capital city was Niani, in modern-day Guinea. It served as a hub for the trade of gold, salt, and other goods across the Sahara Desert. Its vast territory and control of critical trade routes allowed the empire to project power and maintain dominance over neighboring peoples and states. At its height, the empire encompassed the areas of modern-day Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Niger, and parts of Mauritania, The Gambia, and Burkina Faso. Founded by Sundiata Keita, it reached its zenith under Mansa Musa (c. 1312–1337), who is widely regarded as one of the wealthiest individuals in history.
  
  
  Sudano-Sahelian architecture
  Mali is renowned for its Sudano-Sahelian style of architecture, characterized by the use of mud bricks and clay plaster, with large wooden beams (known as toron) protruding from the wall surfaces. Notable examples of this style include the Great Mosque of Djenné and the Sankoré Madrasa in Timbuktu.
  
  
  Inner Niger Delta
  The Inner Niger Delta, also known as Masina, is an inland river delta located in central Mali. It is a vast area of fluvial wetlands, lakes, and floodplains within the semi-arid Sahel zone. As part of the Niger River's intricate hydrological system, the Inner Niger Delta is one of Africa's largest and most ecologically significant wetlands. It supports millions of people who rely on its resources for fishing, agriculture, and livestock grazing. The delta also plays a vital role in regional biodiversity, serving as a critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
  
  
  
  
  Mali is famous for bogolan, or bògòlanfini, also known as mud cloth. This traditional textile is dyed with fermented mud to create intricate, symbolic patterns. Beyond its artistic appeal, bogolan is a cultural emblem of Mali, reflecting the nation's rich heritage and identity.
  Image: BluesyPete
  
  
  
  
  Griots
  Griots, or djeli, are traditional West African storyteller, historians, and musicians, who serve as custodians of oral history and culture.
  
  Mansa Musa's Wealth
  Mansa Musa, the emperor of Mali during the 14th century, is often described as the richest person in history. His legendary pilgrimage to Mecca showcased the empire's incredible wealth and put Mali on the map for European and Islamic scholars.
  
  Bogolan Fabric
  Mali is famous for bogolan, or mud cloth, a traditional textile dyed with fermented mud to create intricate patterns. It's not just a fashion statement but a symbol of Malian culture and identity.
  
  Elephants of Mali
  Mali is home to one of the northernmost herds of African elephants, known as the Gourma elephants, which inhabit the semi-arid Sahel region. These elephants undertake one of the longest migrations of any land mammal, traveling over 600 kilometers annually in search of water and vegetation. Adapted to harsh desert conditions, Mali's elephants are a symbol of resilience and the fragile balance of life in the Sahel. However, the animals face significant threats from habitat loss, climate change, and poaching. Conservation efforts to protect these remarkable animals by local communities and international organizations are ongoing, despite political challenges, including periods of military rule.
  
  

UNESCO World Heritage Sites Mali



The Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu. The mosque is one of three madrassas composing the University of Timbuktu.
Image: United Nations Photo
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mali
There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mali, three cultural and one mixed site. Additionally, 15 properties are listed in UNESCO's Tentative List for Mali, an inventory list of those properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination. (see the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mali).


Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)
The Bandiagara escarpment is an outstanding landscape of cliffs and sandy plateaus. The communities at the site are essentially the Dogon people, who have a very close relationship with their environment expressed in their sacred rituals and traditions.


Old Towns of Djenné
Djenné one of the oldest towns of sub-Saharan Africa was inhabited since 250 B.C., the town became a market center and an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was one of the centers for the propagation of Islam. Its traditional houses, of which nearly 2,000 have survived, are built on hillocks as protection from the seasonal floods.


Timbuktu
Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a center for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu's golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.



The Great Mosque of Djenné is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Towns of Djenné.
Image: © UNESCO - Francesco Bandarin
 

Education in Mali



Administrative building of the University of Law and Political Sciences in Bamako.
Image: USJPB


Mali has a long and rich history of education dating back to the Middle Ages, when the Malian Empire was known as a center of scholarship and religious learning. During this time, cities such as Timbuktu and Djenné attracted scholars from all over Africa and the Islamic world and encouraged studies in subjects ranging from Islamic theology and law to astronomy and medicine.


Lycée Français Liberté
Homepage of the French international school in Bamako (in French).

Université de Bamako
The University of Bamako was a public university in Mali's capital Bamako, it was also known as the University of Mali. The University of Bamako was replaced by four new independent universities: the University of Social Sciences and Management of Bamako (USSGB), the University of Letters and Human Sciences of Bamako (ULSHB), the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB) and the University of Legal and Political Sciences of Bamako (USJPB) as well as the new school called École Normale d'Enseignement Technique et Professional.

Université des Sciences Sociales et de Gestion de Bamako
Official website of the University of Social Sciences and Management (USSGB) of Bamako.

Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako (ULSHB)
Website of the University of Letters and Human Sciences of Bamako.

Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB)
The University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies in Bamako was created in 2011.

Université des Sciences Juridiques et Politiques de Bamako (USJPB)
The University of Legal and Political Sciences is a public university located in Bamako, Mali.


 

Students at a public school in the Taliko Neighborhood of Bamako.
Image: United Nations Photo

Education in Mali
Wikipedia article about education in Mali.
 

Environment & Nature



The Hand of Fatima, a rock formation in the Mopti Region in southern central Mali (15.246677°N 1.802920°W).
Image: Eduard Garcia


The landlocked country in West Africa has a diverse geography that ranges from the Sahara Desert in the north to the Niger River basin and savannas of the Sahel in the south. Mali's geography is defined by three main landscapes: the Sahara Desert in the north, the semi-arid Sahel region in the center, and the Sudanian savanna in the south.
The country's climate is primarily arid to semi-arid, with a short rainy season from June to September. Mali experiences high temperatures year-round, especially in the northern desert areas. Its natural environment is home to various ecosystems, including dry woodlands, riverine wetlands, and savanna grasslands, though desertification and water scarcity increasingly threaten these landscapes.


Ministère de l'environnement
Website of Mali's Ministry of the Environment.


Cinzana Agricultural Research station
The project focused on capacity building for sustainable agriculture in rural communities in Cinzana and Katiena in Mali.

Forum Environnemental National (FENA)
The National Environmental Forum (FENA) is a framework for dialogue between non-state actors and state actors on the development challenges facing our country, with regard to climate change and environmental protection.

Institut d'Economie Rurale du Mali
Institute for the research of agricultural development and preservation of natural resources based in Bamako. (dead link, Nov. 2024)

Mali Elephant Project
Tusk wildlife conservation runs the Mali Elephant Project (MEP), which protects a unique population of 550 sub-desert elephants.

The Mali Elephant Project
Article about the conservation efforts for the Gourma elephants by Equator Initiative.

Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa
A Mali NGO empowering rural communities in Mali.

Mount Hombori Project
Long-term monitoring of the biodiversity of Mount Hombori and its region located south of Timbuktu.

Comité Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS)
Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (in French).


NGOs, Charities and Non-profits in Mali
Comprehensive list of charities and NGOs active in Mali.

List of UK NGOs working in Mali
Mali needs all the help it can get; it is a poor country that has experienced three violent coups within a decade, which have plunged the country into a deep crisis.



Typical savanna landscape in Mali.
Image: mauro gambini
 

Mali History



The Timbuktu Manuscripts, vast collection of centuries-old texts and documents, housed primarily in Timbuktu, Mali, with roots going back to the Mali Empire's golden age.
Image: © UNESCO - Lazare Eloundou


The History of Mali
The history of Mali is anchored in the rise of the Mali Empire in the 13th century. The medieval West African empire was one of the continent's great civilizations under its legendary ruler, Mansa Musa. The empire was known for its wealth, culture, and Islamic scholarship. It became a base from which Islam spread throughout West Africa. Cities like Timbuktu and Djenné were blossoming as intellectual and trade hubs.

After the empire's decline in the 16th century, power shifted. The region became part of French West Africa in the late 19th century and gained independence in 1960.


Guardians of the Timbuktu Manuscripts
Google article about the organization that preserves the Timbuktu Manuscripts, an extensive collection of historical texts and documents, important testimonies of Islamic culture.

History of Mali
Wikipedia articles about Mali's history in many languages.

History of West Africa
Wikipedia entry about history of West Africa, including Mali.

Mali Empire
Wikipedia article about the history of the once largest historical empire in West Africa.

Mali Federation
Wikipedia article about the short-lived federation in West Africa that united the French colonies of Senegal and the Sudanese Republic (or French Sudan) for two months in 1960.

Médine Fort
An article by the World Monuments Fund about the Fort of Médine in the west of the country. The bastion on the Senegal River was one of the first military installations built by the French during their colonization of the region, which later became French Sudan.

Sudan (region)
Wikipedia article about the geographical region to the south of the Sahara.

French Sudan
Wikipedia article about French Sudan (Soudan Français), a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa.

Western Africa - Early Kingdoms, Empires, Sudan
Encyclopædia Britannica article about the early empires of the Western Sudan.

Western Sudan - Images of Power & Identity
Three empires flourished in the Western Sudan: Ghana, Mali and Songhai.



A 1906 postcard of Timbuktu and the Sankoré Mosque, Mali.
Image: unknown

 

Indigenous People of Mali



Dogon dwellings along the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. The Cliff of Bandiagara is also known as the Land of the Dogon, a vast cultural landscape covering 400,000 ha and includes 289 villages, scattered between three natural regions, a sandstone plateau, the escarpment and the plains. The Cliff of Bandiagara is one of Mali's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Image: © Ferdinand Reus


Ethnic groups of Mali
The ethnic groups of Mali are Bambara (33.3%), Fulani (Peuhl) (13.3%), Sarakole/Soninke/Marka (9.8%), Senufo/Manianka (9.6%), Malinke (8.8%), Dogon (8.7%), Sonrai (5.9%), Bobo (2.1%), Tuareg/Bella (1.7%). ^[WFB]


Bambara
The Bambara are a Mande-speaking ethnic group from West Africa. They live in southern Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. ^[WP]

Dogon
The Dogon are an ethnic group native to the central plateau of Mali in West Africa. The homeland of the Dogon lies south of the Niger Arc near the city of Bandiagara and in Burkina Faso. ^[WP]

Dogonalbum
Photogallery of the Dogon people.

Dogon people
Wikipedia entry about the Dogon people.

Fulani
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe are a widely dispersed ethnic group in West and Central Africa. They are renowned for their pastoralist traditions and are historically associated with the Sahel. The Fula live in more than 20 African nations, including Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. ^[WP]

Malinke
The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group. The Mandinka live in southern Mali, Gambia, southern Senegal and eastern Guinea. The capital of the Malinke Empire is Kangaba in Mali. ^[WP]

Soninke
The Soninke people are a Mande-speaking West African ethnic group. They live in Mali, but also in southern Mauritania and eastern Senegal. They speak Soninke, one of the Mande languages. The Soninke are believed to have founded the Ghana Empire. ^[WP]
 

Additional Information

Selected country profiles of Mali published by international organizations.


Amnesty International: Mali
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Mali
Mali country profile by the British public service broadcaster.

BTI Transformation Index Mali
Mali Country Report by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

FAO: Mali
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Mali.

Foreign travel advice: Mali
Mali travel advice by the British Government.

Freedomhouse: Mali
A country profile by Freedomhouse, a non-profit organization funded by the US government. The organization promotes liberal democracies worldwide.

GlobalEDGE: Mali
Mali business ranking by the Global business knowledge portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Mali
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Mali
Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Mali
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest international trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Mali
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO engaging in media freedom.

Wikipedia: Mali
Wikipedia's Mali page in many languages.

The World Bank in Mali
The international financial institution on its work in Mali.

The World Factbook - Mali
CIA World Factbook Mali Page.