Mali Country Profile
Discovering Mali
Mali Flag
Landlocked Mali is one of the world’s poorest nations. It is dubbed the cream in West Africa’s crown because of its scenic tourist attractions. The country is situated in the heart of a territory that once supported Africa’s greatest empires with a resounding history.
With a size of 1,240,000 sq km, Mali is the world’s 24th-largest country comparable in size to South Africa. It is bordered by Algeria in the southwest, Niger on the east, Mauritania on the west and the Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso on the south.
Extensively, the country lies in the southern Sahara, which produces a hot, dust-laden Sudanian savanna zone. Legendary Timbuktu town is the center of the country’s magnificently dramatic Bandiagara escarpment and home to the fascinating culture of the Dogon. The capital city is Bamako.
History
Mali’s history has always been a story of its rivers and deserts. The productive trade routes of the Sahara prospered the region to one of the world’s richest and the Niger River, one of Africa’s grand original rivers maintains its status as the lifeblood of the country.
The journey along the Niger route is one of the continent’s great adventures.
Geography
Most of Mali, in West Africa, lies in the Sahara. Mali is mostly flat, rising to rolling northern plains covered by sand. The only fertile area is in the south, where the Niger and Senegal rivers provide water for irrigation.
Weather & Climate
Mali is made up of two climatic regions, Sudanese and Sahelian, with the city of Keyes roughly the meeting point. Most of the country experiences minimal rainfall with the ‘insignificant’ rainy season in the south stretching from June through late September. Average annual rainfall in the south of the Sudanese province is about 55 inches. During this time, Niger River floods creating the Inner Niger Delta.
The Sahelian province experiences considerable temperature variations, especially in April, May and June, the period of maximum heat, and in December, when the hot, dry harmattan blows. The average temperature is 30°C (86°F). Continuing north through the Sahelian province, gradually enters into a Saharan climate marked by the virtual absence of rain and an extremely dry atmosphere.
The year is divided into three main seasons varying in length according to the latitude: November – February, cool and dry; March to May, hot and dry; and June to October, a season of rains characterised by lower temperatures and an increase in humidity. Droughts are however so pronounced.
People & Culture
Mali’s population of more than 14 million and comprises a number of different peoples i.e. the Bambara, Songhai, Mandinka, Senoufo, Fula, and the Dogon. The last of these groups, the Dogon, are world-celebrated crafts men, and a visit to their traditional cliffside villages is a charming experience. The majority of Mali’s people are Muslim, and the official language is French. Bambara, however, is the country’s true lingua franca.
Also Mali has a fascinating cultural mix of peoples, from the nomadic Tuareg people of the Sahara to the Niger fishing societies of the Bozo. Fascinating ceremonies are wide in the country.
