Mali Map

Mali is an African nation, situated in West Africa. Mali shares borders with Algieria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. Mali has an area of 1,240,000 square kilometers (480,000 square miles), and a population of about 14,517,176. The capital of Mali is Bamako, located in the southwest.

Mali is divided into eight regions and the capital district: Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso, Segou, Mopti, Tombouctou, Gao, Kidal, and the Bamako Capital District. The regions are further divided into cercles and communes.

Mali History
Mali has been part of the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire, before becoming a colony of France in the 19th century, when it became part of French Sudan. French Sudan became the Sudanese Republic, and together with Senegal united to became the Mali Federation, which gained independence from France on June 20, 1960. Senegal soon withdrew from the union, leaving the Sudanese Republic to become the Republic of Mali on September 22, 1960.

Independence was followed by a socialist takeover of the country by leader Modibo Keita, who was overthrown in a military coup in 1968. The day of this even, November 19, 1968, is celebrated as Liberation Day. Moussa Traore led the country, though faced with an extreme drought and famine, and a quickly dissatisfied population. An uprising in 1991, known as the March Revolution, led to a new constitution and a democratic election.

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Last Updated On : March 14, 2013