The Republic of Mali is located in West Africa, part of the
country is located in the Sahara Desert.
Mali is the jewel in
the crown of Africa. Being in the heart of the ancient African
empires, Mali still strikes the minds of the traveler with the
beauty of its art monuments. The legendary city of Timbuktu and the
famous clay mosque in Djenne, the majestic Niger River and the Dogon
country that has preserved its culture through the centuries, the
sands of the mighty Sahara Desert and the opportunity to see the
descendants of ancient tribes - all this and much more attracts many
tourists to Mali year after year. The conditions of staying in the
country are not easy - the impoverished population, the burning sun,
high prices - but the atmosphere that reigns in Mali pays for it
all.
Mali is a developing country, one of the largest countries in Africa
in terms of area (1,240,000 km²), but also one of the poorest in the
world. The capital of the country is Bamako.
It borders Algeria
to the north, Mauritania and Senegal to the west, Niger to the east, and
Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea to the south. Has no access to
the sea.
The landscape of the country is made up of
savannahs and plains covered with sand. 65% of the country (in the
northwest) is the Sahara desert, in these places the land is practically
barren. There are practically no forests in Mali. The Niger Delta is
dominated by lush vegetation.
The first evidence of the region appeared in the 4th BC. e. Up to the
XI century. many ancient empires arose and disappeared in this region.
In the XI century. the empire of Mali arose, and in the 13th century it
reached its peak and was one of the largest suppliers of gold in the
world. The territory of the empire stretched from Gao to Tekrur (in
modern Senegal). However, by the XIV-XV centuries. Mali approached its
decline due to the constant attacks of its neighbors and the dominant
role passed to the Songhai Empire with its capital in Gao. The Songhais
actively expanded the territory of their lands. until at the end of the
16th century they were defeated by the Moroccan army. In the 1890s, the
French came to the territory of modern Mali and turned it into their
colony. The country became known as French Sudan.
In the mid-50s
of the 20th century, an anti-colonial alliance was formed in Mali under
the leadership of a descendant of the ancient Malian kings, Madibu
Keita. In 1958, Keita managed to achieve autonomy for Mali, and in 1960
Mali became an independent republic. Of course, Madibu Keita becomes the
president of the country, who is heading towards building socialism and
strengthening relations with the USSR. Like all other African leaders of
that time, Keita cared more about his own welfare than about the
country's economy, and when the latter fell into complete disrepair, he
tried to enlist an alliance with France and transfer its key
enterprises. This caused discontent among the population. In 1968, as a
result of a coup organized by the Military Committee of the People's
Liberation, Keita was removed from the presidency, and Musa Traore, the
head of the WPC, took his place. A military one-party regime was
established in the country. Discontent again spread across the country -
unemployment, economic collapses, self-willed officials four times led
to coup attempts. During the reign of Traore, Mali became one of the
poorest countries in the world. Relations with the USSR, China and the
countries of the social bloc were slowly winding down. A Tuareg uprising
followed in the 1990s, and a year later, in March 1991, thousands of
people took to the streets of Bamako to protest. During this
demonstration, Traore's soldiers opened fire on the protesters, killing
more than 150 people. At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Amadou
Toumani Toure entered the political arena, who, after the March events,
removed Traore and his party from power with his army. A new government
composed of military and civilians was formed, and Touré promised his
fellow citizens to support multi-party elections. In 1992, Alfa Oumar
Konare was elected president of the country, in 1997 he was re-elected
for a new term. However, despite the fact that he was highly respected
by the inhabitants of the country, Konare could not prevent the
devaluation of the CFA franc. In 2002, he was replaced as president by
Amadou Touré.
Climate
The climate in Mali is subequatorial, tropical. The rainy
season in Mali lasts from June to September, and the hottest time is
from April to June and September-October. At this time, the temperature
exceeds 40 degrees. From January to June, dry dusty harmattan winds blow
in the country - at this time, visibility drops sharply and many
attractions become unattainable. The best time to visit Mali is from
November to January, when cool winds blow from the northeast, dropping
the temperature to 25-30 degrees, which is considered cool weather for
the region.
Population
The population of the country is
13,518,000 people. Mali is a presidential republic, since 2002 the
president is Amadou Toumani Toure.
The population of Mali
consists of numerous African tribes. Most of the inhabitants are settled
in the south of the country, in the north - in desert areas - only 10%
of the population lives. The most numerous tribes are the Bambara (33%),
living mainly in the south and in the center of the country. Together
with the Soninke and Malinke living in the west, they make up half the
population. Other nationalities are Fulani (17%), Senoufo (12%), Dogon
(7%), Songhai (6%), Tuareg (6%).
Most of the country's
inhabitants profess Islam (90%), the rest of the population is disposed
to local beliefs (9%). Only 1% are Christians.
The official
language of Mali is French. 80% of Malians also speak the Bambara
language.
Economy
Mali is an agricultural country. The economy
of the country is the cultivation of various fruits, vegetables and
cereals. High-quality cotton is produced in Mali, and the once core
industry, gold mining, is rapidly developing. Animal husbandry and
fishing are developed.
Attractions
Bamako
National Museum - it houses a fairly
extensive collection of masks, statues, archaeological finds and a
good model of the mosque in Djenne
Muso Kunda Museum - dedicated
to women, the exposition - national clothes, household items
Bamako Museum - the exposition consists of various ethnographic
finds
Grand Marche Market - a huge market, occupying an entire
block, was built in the colonial style
Point G - from this point
in the north of the city there is an excellent view of Bamako
Cayes
Fort Medina - part of the French defenses near the city
Mopti
Port Mopti is the busiest port in Mali, from here you
can take a boat tour of Niger
The Misire Mosque is a beautiful
Sahel-style mosque located in the old part of the city.
Segou
Pirogue rides - for about $30 you can ride local canoes on the river
Koro is a small village near Segou, made up of clay houses.
Sikasso
Tata - the remains of a clay wall from the time of the
capture of the country by the French
Dernier Rua Palace - a
beautiful palace in the west of the city
Mamelon - the sacred
hill of the kings of the Kenedugu dynasty
Hombori
Hombori
Tondo - rock formations, a popular place for trekking and rock
climbing, the most famous rock is the "Hand of Fatima"
Jenna
Clay Mosque of Djenne - one of the main attractions of Mali, the
largest clay building in the world
Djenne Dzheno - the ruins of
an ancient city founded about 2300 years ago
Timbuktu
Jigareber Mosque
Mosque of Sidi Yahya
Sankore Mosque - the
three largest clay mosques left over from ancient times
Ethnographic Museum - has a lot of exhibits in its collection:
clothes, musical instruments, jewelry
Ahmed Baba Center - the
largest repository of ancient books and manuscripts of the golden
age of Mali
Dogon country
The country of the Dogon is one
big attraction - beautiful nature, sheer cliffs, ancient culture.
The most popular pastime is trekking.