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The largest country in West Africa, Mali is bordered on the north by Algeria, on the east and southeast by Niger, on the South by Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire,
and on the west by Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. In the south, traversed by the Niger and Senegal rivers, are fertile areas where peanuts, rice, and cotton are grown. Elsewhere the country is arid desert or semi desert. Although large swathes of Mali are barren, the country is self-sufficient in food thanks to the fertile Niger river basin in the south and east.
During the Middle Ages, the Moslem empire of Mali covered most of West Africa. For several centuries, Mali was a centre of Islamic culture and prosperity. When Trans Saharan routes were in use by traders in olden days, Mali was a trading centre and a tax collection point. The empires developed because of trade in gold and salt and other goods. Slaves were also transported
along this route. Their control of the Trans-Saharan trade route was finally broken by European traders. By the end of the
19th century, France annexed the country, which became independent in 1960.
Today, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. But since 1992, when the country’s first democratically elected
president took power, Mali has had a civilian government.
Malians continue to draw a sense of national pride from the heritage of the Songay and Malian empires. Visitors can experience the way of living in the Sahara, enjoy the local tribes’ songs and dances, and ride camels with the Tuaregs, the ’Blue Princes’ of the desert. The hidden city of Timbuktu, the mythical gate of the Sahara, is the last wonder of Western explorers. This old city was a beehive of activity in its
heydays in the past. By the 15th century, Timbuktu was a major trading centre for salt and gold on the Trans-Saharan trade
route. Later on it assumed the status of a great Islamic learning centre. There are several beautiful mosques and tombs dating back to the 14th century.
Bamako, the capital, is a modern city and the cultural centre of Mali. The main places of interest are the markets, the botanical
gardens, the Musée National, the zoo and the craft centre at the Maison des Artisans.
Mali is also famous for its music and musicians from the days of the Mali Empire. The traditional music of Mali is based on the songs of the jalis (griots), a distinct caste of people in the social structure. Mali still maintains a key role in the contemporary African
music scene.
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Overview 
