March 19, 2024
interesting facts about mali

82 Interesting Fun Cool Facts about Mali – History, Culture, Life

(Last Updated On: March 3, 2022)

We have found some very interesting facts about Mali for you. Mali is a landlocked country in western Africa that is mostly located in the Saharan and Sahelian areas. Mali is a mostly flat and dry country. The Niger River runs through the country’s heartland, serving as the country’s principal commercial and transportation route. Flooding of sections of the river occurs on a regular basis, providing much-needed fertile agricultural soil along the river’s banks as well as grazing for cattle. This article will feature many more cool Interesting Facts about Mali.

Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Algeria surround Mali. It has a land size of around 480,000 square miles, making it Africa’s eighth largest country and the world’s twenty-third largest. Mali is a sovereign state organized into ten regions, with mining and agriculture as its main industries. Salt and gold are two of the country’s key natural resources, and Mali is Africa’s third-largest gold producer. The following is a collection of interesting facts about Mali. In the world today, there are 45 landlocked nations and five partly recognized states.

Mali is one of Africa’s biggest countries, yet its population is relatively modest, concentrated mostly around the Niger River. The ethnic group and language of the Bambara (Bamana) predominate, while other groups like the Fulani (Fulbe), Dogon, and Tuareg are also prominent in the community. Agriculture is the country’s most important economic sector, with cotton cultivation, cattle and camel herding, and fishing among the most important industries. Keep going for more Interesting Facts about Mali like this.

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were the three great precolonial Sudanic dynasties that originally ruled the territory that is now Mali. Timbuktu, Mali’s renowned but now-forgotten commerce and learning center, is located on the upper Niger River. For centuries, caravans from North Africa crossed the Sahara desert, while others traveled from the woodland regions to the south, meeting at the Timbuktu crossroads. Djenné, with its famed mosque and outstanding specimens of Sudanese architecture, and Mopti, a busy market center, are two more significant cities. Because of its unusual cliffside settlements and diversified creative life, the Dogon region, which is centered on the Bandiagara escarpment in the country’s central portion, is a popular tourist destination.

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Interesting Facts about Mali

Let’s read out some very Interesting Facts about Mali!

1. The official and most frequently spoken language is Bambara. Mali’s indigenous languages together enjoy the legal status of the national language.

2. Bamako is Mali’s capital and largest city, with a population of 1,810,366 in 2009 and a projected population of 2.71 million by 2020. It’s near the rapids that separate the upper and middle Niger basins in the southwestern section of the nation, on the Niger River. Bamako serves as the country’s administrative capital.

3. The mighty Mali Empire was created by Sundiata Keita. It was known for its progressive principles and riches, and it was the next big west African kingdom after Ghana, which is one of the Interesting Facts about Mali.

4. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation was named after the Mali Empire. The country’s name is derived from the Bambara word for hippopotamus (the animal is depicted on the 5 franc currency), while the capital city’s name is derived from the Bambara term for “place of crocodiles.”

5. The salt mines of Mali are well-known. Mali was formerly one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with great monarchs whose prosperity sprang mostly from the region’s strategic location on the cross-Sahara trade routes between West Africa and the north. Timbuktu was an important Islamic study center.

6. Taoudenni, Mali’s oldest salt mine, is one of the largest in the country. The Taoudenni mine is located in northern Mali’s desert region, some 413 miles from Timbuktu. Taoudenni salt is hand-mined from the bed of an ancient salt lake, cut into slabs, and brought to Timbuktu by camel or vehicle.

Mali History Facts

7. The Mali Empire was one of the greatest in West African history, spanning from the Atlantic coast to the heart of the Sahara desert at its peak. The mythical King Sundiata created the Empire in 1235 CE, and it lasted until the early 1600s CE.

8. According to some historians, Mansa Musa was the wealthiest individual in history. Mali’s gold and salt mines were the sources of most of the country’s riches. Niani was the empire’s capital city. Timbuktu, Gao, Djenne, and Walata were other prominent cities.

9. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Mali was also home to the Songhai Empire. The empire, which was centered on the Niger River and eventually expanded all the way to the Atlantic coast and east into Niger and Nigeria, was a powerful trade state of West Africa.

10. Rice and millet are staples in Malian cuisine, which is mainly dependent on cereal grains. Grains are usually served with tomato peanut sauce and sauces produced from edible leaves such as spinach, sweet potato, or baobab.

Mali Facts

11. Mali is now one of the poorest countries in the world, with the typical worker earning around $1,500 per year and more than half of Malians living below the global poverty line of $1.25 per day. Furthermore, despite the fact that Mali is one of Africa’s main gold producers, only approximately 10% of Malians earn more than $2 per day, while over 70% make less than one dollar.

12. Fishing and agriculture are the two most important economic sectors in the nation. Over 80% of Malians work in agriculture, despite periodic fluctuations in the business resulting in recurring temporary unemployment.

13. Malians’ diverse daily culture reflects the country’s ethnic and geographical diversity. The majority of Malians dress in boubloveous, which are flowing, colorful robes distinctive of West Africa. Malians take part in traditional festivals, dances, and ceremonies on a regular basis.

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14. According to the International SOS Travel Risk Map, Mali is one of the top ten most hazardous nations in the world. It has been classified as posing a ‘very high danger of travel security.’

15. Taghaza, about 93 miles northwest of Taoudenni, is a prominent salt mining site in Mali. Mali’s northern salt was transported to the southern section of the nation and exchanged for gold, which is one of the cool Interesting Facts about Mali.

16. The current structure of the Great Mosque dates from 1907. It’s one of the most well-known African sights, and it’s part of Djenne’s historic city, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. Clay mortar and sun-baked clay bricks were used to build the Djenne Mosque.

17. Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa that stretches from the southern Sahara Desert through the Sahel to the Sudanian savanna zone. It is located southwest of Algeria. Mali is 1,240,192 square kilometers in size. About 65 percent of Mali’s total land area is covered by desert or semi-desert (1,240,192 square kilometers).

18. The Mali Empire was one of Africa’s most powerful and well-known pre-colonial kingdoms. It was created in the 11th century and endured until Morocco captured it in the late 16th century.

19. Present-day The Ghana Empire (for which Ghana is named), the Mali Empire (for which Mali is named), and the Songhai Empire were once part of three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire (for which Ghana is named), the Mali Empire (for which Mali is named), and the Songhai Empire.

20. Mali originated as a tiny Malinke kingdom on the Niger River’s upper reaches. Around Sundjata coordinated Malinke resistance against a branch of the southern Soninke, who made up the heart of the ancient kingdom of Ghana, it became an important power after 1235.

21. Mali was a gold-rich province, and the tenth emperor of the Kingdom of Mali, Mansa Musa, was one of the wealthiest people in the Middle Ages, which is one of the fun Interesting Facts about Mali.

22. The Great Mosque is a large adobe or banco edifice that many architects believe to be Sudano-Sahelian architecture’s crowning achievement. The mosque is situated on the Bani River’s flood flats in the city of Djenne, and the previous edifice on the site was erected in the thirteenth century.

23. Mali is a primarily Muslim country, with Muslims accounting for 94.84 percent of the population. Only 0.8 percent of the 94.84 percent are Shi’a Muslims, compared to the vast majority of Sunni Muslims in the country.

24. Askia Mohamed, the Emperor of Songhai, constructed the UNESCO-listed Tomb of Askia in 1495. A pyramidal mausoleum, two mosques, a cemetery, and an open-air assembly ground are all part of the complex.

25. One of the Interesting Facts about Mali is that, Mali became the Sudanese Republic (formerly French Sudan) in 1959 and is a member of the Mali Federation, which includes Senegal and the Sudanese Republic (Mali).

26. Each of the 12 monarchs of the Mali Empire ceded their country to the Keita dynasty by thrusting their spears into the earth in front of Sundiata’s throne. In exchange for their surrender, they were given the name “farbas,” which is derived from the Mandinka terms “farin” and “ba” (great farin). At the time, farin was a generic name for a northern commander.

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Timbuktu Facts

27. Mali was traditionally a hub of culture, and Timbuktu University was one of Africa’s and the Middle East’s most well-known ancient institutions. While it is now one of the poorest countries on the planet, it was once one of the world’s wealthiest empires.

28. Mansa Musa inherited a prosperous kingdom, but his efforts to promote commerce created Mali Africa’s wealthiest country. His fortune came from the Mali kingdom’s huge salt and gold reserves. Elephant ivory was also a valuable commodity.

29. Cotton, grains, and rice are all grown in Mali. Mali’s principal export is cotton, despite the fact that locally grown rice is now competing with imported Asian rice. Livestock exports have increased, as has industry (which produces vegetable and cottonseed oils, as well as textiles).

30. The Sudanese Republic and Senegal joined forces in early 1959 to establish the Federation of Mali, which acquired full independence from France on June 20, 1960, as a member of the French Community.

31. African art is as colorful and diverse as the people who create it. African art is a major component of African life, with thousands of years of creative traditions that include sculpture, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, furniture, architecture, and more.

32. In 2013, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, was sent to the unstable Sahel state. According to its website, it has 16,500 people, including 10,700 servicemen.

Fun Facts about Mali

33. Mali’s Niger River Inland Delta includes a large stretch of lakes, canals, and marshes. The Niger River separates into many channels, forming Western Africa’s greatest wetland. The river and wetlands provide an essential supply of water for Mali, which is a landlocked and mostly arid nation.

34. Timbuktu, a UNESCO-listed city founded in the 5th century, was an important trade station and center of Islamic culture, notably during the 15th and 16th centuries, which is one of the historic Interesting Facts about Mali.

35. Malian weather is divided into three seasons: a dry season from March to June, a wet or wintering season from June to September, and an off-season or cold season from October to February, with the harmattan, a drying Saharan wind. In January, the average temperature is 24°C, while in May, it is 35°C.

36. Mali has been wracked by Islamist insurgencies as well as Tuareg separatist rebels seeking an independent state. At the request of the Mali government, French forces engaged militarily in 2013. The United Nations peacekeeping forces are still present in the nation.

37. Present-day Mali was one of three West African empires that ruled over the trans-Saharan commerce in slaves, salt, and gold, among other commodities, and lacked strict ethnic identities or geopolitical borders. The Ghana Empire, which was governed by the Soninke people and spanned the region from the ninth century until 1078, when it was overthrown by the Almoravids, was the first empire.

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Mali Empire Facts

38. Formerly known as French Sudan, the nation was named after the Mali Empire. The country’s name is derived from the Bambara word for hippopotamus (the animal is depicted on the 5 franc currency), while the capital city’s name is derived from the Bambara term for “place of crocodiles.”

39. Mali’s terrain is largely savanna grassland, with higher plateaus appearing as you travel north. The northeast is dotted with rugged hills with altitudes of up to 1,000 meters. The Senegal River is the country’s lowest point, at 75 feet (23 meters), while Hombori Tondo is the country’s highest point, at 3,789 meters (1,155 m).

40. The Festival au Désert, sometimes known as the “African Woodstock,” is annually held in Mali. Unfortunately, owing to security concerns, the event has not been hosted since 2012.

41. Droughts, rebellions, coups, and 23 years of military rule have plagued Mali since independence. After General Traore gained control in 1968, democratic elections were held for the first time in 1992, following the 1991 coup.

42. Fighting lasted until the end of December. An estimated 1,500 to 3,524 persons have been murdered since the outbreak of violence in January 2012. Early in the year, fighting between Tuareg rebels and government troops in northern Mali restarted. The MNLA executed over a hundred troops.

43. Mali was founded on the upper Niger River and peaked in strength in the fourteenth century when it was twice the size of France and stretched all the way to the West African coast. The Songhai Empire, which started in modern-day Nigeria, succeeded the Mali Empire.

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Facts about Mali Africa

44. Slavery is still practiced in Mali, with an estimated 200,000 individuals in direct slavery to a master. In 1905, the French government legally abolished slavery in the country when it fell under French colonial administration in 1898 as French Sudan.

45. Modibo Keta, the first President of Mali (1960–1968) and Prime Minister of the Mali Federation, was born on June 4, 1915, and died on May 16, 1977. He advocated for a type of African socialism.

46. Residents of Djenné maintain the mosque’s walls during a one-day celebration called Crépissage (Plastering), during which they rebuild the walls with mud, which is one of the crazy interesting facts about Mali.

47. Rice with peanut sauce, known as tiga dégué, has become Mali’s national cuisine. Bassi, a couscous consisting of millet, baobab leaf powder, tomato sauce, milk, and peanuts, is a favorite of the Sarakolé in Mali’s Kayes area. This recipe is enhanced by the addition of meat or fish.

48. Mali was a western African commercial kingdom that existed from the 13th through the 16th centuries. The Mali empire arose from the polity of Kangaba, which was formed before 1000 CE on the upper Niger River east of the Fouta Djallon.

49. Mali is traversed by two major rivers: the Niger and the Sénégal. The Niger River runs 1,700 kilometers (1,060 miles) through Mali, accounting for about a third of the river’s overall length of 4,185 kilometers (2,600 miles).

50. In addition to being Mali’s political capital, Bamako is also the country’s economic and cultural center. Gold, rice, cotton, cattle, and kola nuts are carried from the countryside to the city and packaged for international commerce and home consumption.

Facts about Ancient Mali

51. People in Niani, the Mali Empire’s ancient capital, subsisted mostly on pounded millet, honey, and milk.

52. Mali has 12 national languages, including Soninke, Mamara Senoufo, Hassaniya Arabic, Maasina Fulfulde, Tieyaxo Bozo, and Bomu, in addition to the official languages of Bambara and French. The related ethnic groups speak these 12 Mali national languages as their native language. Bambara is the country’s lingua franca, with over 80% of Malians being able to speak in it.

53. Mali is famed for its booming music industry, and singer-songwriter Salif Keita, dubbed the “golden voice of Africa,” is the country’s most famous musician.

54. Mali increased its territory, influence, and culture over the period of four centuries, aided by a well-trained imperial army and its location in the center of trade networks. The empire’s economic holdings were bolstered by an abundance of gold dust and salt reserves.

55. Mali has been flooded by wealth in the form of gold. Traders always came to a halt in Mali. They were certain that they would be welcomed, fed, housed, and protected. Mansa Musa was a generous individual.

56. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Djenné’s Old Towns is made up of over 2,000 traditional buildings constructed on hillocks (toguere) to protect them from seasonal floods. Since 250 BC, the town has been populated and served as a vital connection in the trans-Saharan gold trade.

57. The French colonialists were the ones who brought the French language to Mali. When Mali gained independence in 1960, it kept it as an official language. In the education sector, French is the language used in government and in teaching the school curriculum.

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Interesting Facts about Mali Africa

58. Gazelles, antelopes, giraffes, and elephants are examples of large herbivorous animals. Lions, panthers, and hyenas are the principal carnivores. The rivers are home to crocodiles and hippopotamuses, as well as a variety of monkeys, snakes, and birds (including the ostrich).

59. Mali is located in the intertropical zone, with a hot, dry climate and a sun that is near its zenith for most of the year. There are two separate seasons in general: dry and rainy.

60. Mali’s flag is green, yellow, and red with vertical stripes. The colors, subsequently dubbed “pan-African colors,” may also be found on the national flags of Ethiopia, Ghana, and Guinea.

61. Malians dress mostly in African ways, while young males frequently dress in Western styles on a daily basis. The zerebou, a long tunic worn over pants, or the grand boubou, a long, enormous embroidered robe worn over a short tunic and pants, are two styles for males.

62. Gao, Mali is located on the equator line that divides the Eastern and Western hemispheres. A person may stand with one foot in the western hemisphere and the other in the eastern hemisphere at this location.

63. Poverty in Mali is mostly caused by malnutrition, a lack of education, and violence. Mali’s average daily pay is $1.25, and more than half of the country’s population lives below the international poverty line. This adds to Mali’s status as one of the world’s least developed countries.

64. Poverty in Mali is mostly caused by malnutrition, a lack of education, and violence. Mali’s average daily pay is $1.25, and more than half of the country’s population lives below the international poverty line. This adds to Mali’s status as one of the world’s least developed countries.

65. The Mali Empire was the greatest in West Africa, and its language, laws, and customs stretched throughout countries near to the Niger River, as well as other places including several vassal kingdoms and provinces, greatly influencing the culture of the region.

66. In Bamako, the Mormyrops Oudoti, sometimes known as the elephant fish because of its large tubular snout, is regarded as a delicacy. The Bozo tribe, who live along the Niger River’s coast, are noted for catching elephant fish and are dubbed “masters of the river” for their pleasant demeanor and fishing prowess.

67. Jinjinbere, a sugar, lemon, and ginger drink, is one of the drinks available. Dabileni is a sorrel-based drink prepared with sugar, water, and herbs. A powerful sweet tea is served at the end of each meal. Tea is offered in three rounds: the first for life, the second for love, and the third for death.

68. In 2007, about 48 percent of Malians were under the age of 12 and 49 percent were between the ages of 15 and 64. In 2007, the country had one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates, with over 106 fatalities per 1,000 live births.

5 Facts about Mali

69. While the infantry relied on spears and bows, the cavalry relied on swords and lances made in the United States or elsewhere, which is one of the interesting facts about Mali.

70. Mali’s largest concern right now is a massive humanitarian catastrophe that affects 3.7 million people, including 1.6 million children. The Fulani and Dogon groups are mostly pitted against one other in this dire scenario, which is aggravated by intense inter-ethnic hostilities.

71. Mali has been in turmoil since 2012, when a northern separatist revolt headed by members of the minority ethnic Tuareg population sparked a military coup and the advance of Islamist insurgents, all during a drought in the region.

72. Despite a 2015 peace agreement ending Mali’s armed war from 2012 to 2013, signatories have failed to carry through several of the agreement’s essential conditions, including the disarming of thousands of soldiers.

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73. The Sudanese Republic was established in October 1958, and on November 24, 1958, it became an autonomous state inside the French Community. Senegal and the Sudanese Republic merged in January 1959 to establish the Mali Federation, which was led by Keita.

74. Solid meals (rice, boiled potatoes, pasta, sorghum, millet thick porridges, and millet couscous) are primarily consumed for lunch and/or supper in Mali, but thin porridges with granules are usually taken for breakfast.

75. Green represents soil fertility, gold represents purity and mineral richness, and crimson represents the blood poured in the fight for freedom from the French.

Timbuktu History Facts

76. The Djinguereber Mosque, built-in 1327, is a well-known learning institution in Mali. Abu Saheli, who was paid 441 lb of gold by Mansa Musa, created it. The Djinguereber Mosque, one of Timbuktu University’s madrassas, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

77. Promoting regional security by combating terrorists and traffickers who attempt to exploit ungoverned regions in the Sahel, and lowering chronic vulnerability by boosting social development and expanding sustainable livelihoods are all-important U.S. priorities in Mali.

78. The gold business was the most significant industry in Mali’s ancient empire, while the salt trade was the other. The Sahara desert was used to transport gold to countries around the North African coast.

79. Following Mansa Musa’s death in 1337, the empire suffered from a loss of dominance in Africa. Other trading hubs grew, putting a strain on the commercial prosperity that had formerly encircled Mali so freely. The kingdom’s poor leadership led to civil wars.

80. Mali is made up of eight regions (régions) and a single capital district. Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou, Sikasso, Tomboctou (Timbuktu), and Bamako, the capital district, are the areas named after their capitals.

81. Mali has one of the world’s youngest populations, with 67 percent of the people under the age of 25 in 2017. The country’s population is estimated to be over 18 million people, with a median age of 15.9 years. The Malian population is primarily rural, with around 10% of the population being nomadic.

82. “One People, One Goal, One Faith” (French: Un Peuple, Un But, Une Foi) is the country’s motto, which is identical to Senegal’s. It’s also on the coat of arms of that country.

Hopefully, you have enjoyed these interesting facts about Mali!

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