More about Mali
Image: Borysk5
There is an ongoing conflict in Mali, since 2012. The map shows the current situation. The conflict in Mali involves multiple actors with varying alliances and objectives. The key participants:
- The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and the Wagner Group, the Russian private military company.
- Pro-Government Militias: Plateforme—a coalition of militias aligned with the government.
- Separatist Movements: Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA)—an alliance of Tuareg and Arab nationalist groups seeking autonomy or independence for the Azawad region in northern Mali.
- Islamist Extremist Groups:
- Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM): An al-Qaeda-affiliated coalition formed in 2017, conducting attacks against both military and civilian targets.
- Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS): A group linked to ISIS, operating in Mali and neighboring countries.
Timeline of the Mali War
A Wikipedia timeline of the Mali War.
Mali is an huge country, covering an
area more than twice the size of
France and almost twice the size of the
U.S. state of
Texas. The southern part of the country lies in the tropical
Sudanian Savanna. Central Mali occupies the semi-arid
Sahel, a transition zone between the Sahara Desert in the north and the lush Sudanian Savanna in the south. The northern part of Mali extends deep into the
Sahara Desert, a sparsely populated belt stretching across
North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the
Red Sea in the east.
Historically, the vast Sahara was an almost insurmountable barrier, separating the fertile regions of sub-Saharan Africa from the prosperous
Mediterranean coast. Ancient trade routes, known as the
trans-Saharan trade routes, a network of camel caravan paths across the desert. These routes connected sub-Saharan Africa with Mediterranean markets and facilitated the trade of gold, salt, and cultural goods. The Mali Empire was a dominant force in the medieval trans-Saharan trade network.
Population
Mali has an estimated
population of 24.5 million as of 2024. Most Malians reside in the southern regions of the country.
Bamako, the capital and largest city, is a major urban center. The official
languages are French and Bambara (Bamanankan), a Mande language. Mali is predominantly Islamic, with about 90% of its population identifying as Muslim.
Administrative regions of Mali
Traditionally, Mali was divided into eight regions (régions) and one capital district (Bamako Capital District). However, a territorial reform in 2012 expanded the country's administrative divisions with the creation of two new regions:
Taoudénit and
Ménaka. These new regions were established to improve governance and decentralization, particularly in the northern, sparsely populated parts of Mali.
Bamako Capital District
The Bamako Capital District is the administrative and political center of Mali, encompassing the nation's bustling capital city, Bamako. Nestled along the banks of the Niger River in southwestern Mali, the district spans about 252 square kilometers and is the smallest but most densely populated administrative division in the country. It serves as Mali's hub for government, commerce, education, and culture.
Bamako is one of Africa's fastest-growing cities, with vibrant markets, bustling streets, and a rich cultural tapestry.
The regions are named after their region capitals:
Fulani (Peul) herders in the Gourma area south of Gao city. The vibrant blue indogo dyed garments of the Fulani are famous.
Image: KaTeznik
The Gao region is one of the eight administrative regions of Mali and is located in the north-east of the country. The capital is Gao.
Kayes
The Kayes region lies in the southwest of Mali, bordering Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea. Historically, the province was part of both the Ghana and Mali empires.
Kidal
Mali's Kidal region is located in the northeast, bordering Niger and Algeria. The administrative capital is the city of Kidal.
Koulikoro
Koulikoro is one of the regions in the southwest; it borders Mauritania in the north and Guinea in the south. The capital city is Koulikoro, located on banks of the Niger River.
Ménaka
The Ménaka Region is one of Mali's youngest administrative regions, officially established in 2012 as part of a territorial reform to improve governance and representation in the country's northern areas. Carved out of the eastern part of the Gao Region, Ménaka spans vast arid and semi-arid landscapes characteristic of the Sahel and the Sahara. The sparsely populated region borders
Niger to the east. Most of its inhabitants belong to
Tuareg and
Fulani communities, nomadic or semi-nomadicethnic people, relying on livestock herding and traditional trade routes. The region's capital is the town of
Ménaka; it serves as its administrative and cultural center.
Mopti
The Mopti region is situated in the center of the country. It is home to the Inland Niger Delta and the Bandiagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its towering cliffs and Dogon cultural heritage. The capital is the city of Mopti, often referred to as the "Venice of Mali" due to its network of waterways and bustling river port.
Ségou
Ségou is an administrative region in central Mali, named after its capital. The city is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and significance as a former capital of the
Bambara Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. A famous annual festival, the
Festival sur le Niger is held there.
The Ségou region lies mainly in the tropical, fertile
West Sudanian savanna bioregion.
It is often called the "Breadbasket of Mali" due to its extensive agricultural activities, particularly the cultivation of sorghum, rice and cotton. It is home to various ethnic groups, including the Bambara, Fulani, and Bozo.
Market scene in Sikasso. The Sikasso Region is an agriculturally rich area in the West Sudanian savanna in southern Mali.
Image: Hugues
The Sikasso Region is a lush and agriculturally rich area in the
West Sudanian savanna in southern Mali. The region is known for its fertile soil, rolling landscapes, and abundant rainfall, which supports a wide variety of crops, especially cotton, yams, and maize.
Culturally, Sikasso is home to diverse ethnic groups, including the Senoufo, Bambara, and Malinké peoples, who contribute to its rich heritage of music, dance, and festivals.
Taoudénit
The region was established
The Taoudénit Region is Mali's northernmost, largest and most sparsely populated administrative division. The Taoudénit Region was created in 2012 from the northern part of the Timbuktu Region and operationally launched in 2016 with the appointment of its first governor. The region lies mostly in the vast and arid
Sahara Desert. Taoudénit's landscape is dominated by sand dunes, rocky plateaus, and dry salt flats. The region has a small and predominantly nomadic population; it is home to
Tuareg and
Arab communities, who maintain traditional ways of life centered on herding, trade, and desert navigation.
The administrative center of the Taoudénit Region is
Taoudénni, a remote salt mining center near the historic
Taoudenni salt mines. The town has a historical significance as a key point in the trans-Saharan salt trade.
Tomboctou (Timbuktu)
The Tombouctou Region (also spelled Timbuktu) is a historically significant administrative region in northern Mali. It shares international borders with
Mauritania to the west and with Mali's
Taoudénit Region to the north and east, while its southern boundary is shaped by the Niger River. The region lost territory to the newly created Taoudénit Region in 2012, when Taoudénit was officially established by the Malian government.
The
Niger River serves as the lifeblood of the Tombouctou Region, supporting agriculture, fishing, and trade in its southern areas. Beyond the river, the landscape transitions into semi-arid plains and the fringes of the
Sahara Desert, characterized by vast open spaces and scattered settlements.
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