Mali -- Home to Four World Heritage Sites!
Wildlife
Did you know- After decades of isolation, particularly from 1960 to 1992, Mali is trying to consolidate its tourist industry. Since the mid-1990s, the La Boucle du Baolé Nature Reserve has become one of the nation's greatest tourist attractions, alongside other regional wonders like Djenné and Timbuktu. With one of the most beautiful landscapes in Mali, this nature reserve is home to much of the country's biodiversity. Nowadays, thousands of tourists come to see elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes and several reptiles. In the meantime, it is haven for birdwatchers.
Geography
Did you know- Mali is a landlocked country located in the interior of West Africa.This country covers 479,000 square miles (1, 248,574 square kilometers). Curiously, it is surrounded by seven French-speaking nations: Mauritania (dictatorship) and Algeria (a multiparty democracy) to the north, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Cote d'Ivoire (once named Ivory Coast) and Guinea (a military dictatorship) to the south, Niger (second-poorest nation in the world) to the east and Senegal (one of Africa's most stable democracies since the 1960s) to the west. Mali is a land of plains, valleys, plateaus, deserts and rain forests. The Niger and the Senegal are Mali's chief rivers. Bamako is the capital and largest city.
National Wonders
Did you know- Curiously, this vast nation has four World Heritage Sites:
-Old Towns of Djenné
-Timbuktu
-Cliff of Bandiaga
-Tomb of Askia
Ancient History
Did you know- Present-day Mali was the ancestral home of the Mali Empire, one of the most powerful kingdoms in West Africa in the 15th century.
Basketball
Did you know- After winning the African Tournament, the national women's team, inspired by Hamchètou Maiga, finished 12th at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China. Before becoming Olympic athlete, she had played in the United States.
Economy
Did you know- On the economic side, Mali is one of the Continent's leading cotton producers; cotton is a key export.
Soccer
Did you know- Soccer has always been popular in the country. The sport was introduced by the French. Frederic Konoute, who holds dual Malian-French citizenship, is one of the country's most prominent soccer players.
Democracy
Did you know- Like most of sub-Saharan Africa, Malihas not had a democratic government until 1992. That year,a new Constitution was established with the aim of achieving a parliamentary democracy in the country. After 15 years, Mali has become one of the best democratic societiesin the Third World. It also has a good human rights record. For this reason, among many others, Mali has won praise from some international organizations in the world. Historically, the country had two dictatorships. By the early 1960s, a pro-Chinese dictatorshipwas established by the country's ruler Modibo Keita, who ruled Mali for eight years (1960-68). Then, this regime was replaced by a pro-Soviet dictatorship until 1991. Subsequently, Mali's ruler Amadou Toumani Toure was one of the leaders of the 1992 constitution, the backbone of democracy in the nation. That year, Alpha Oumar Konarè, a champion of the free market, won the first polls to be held in Mali and marked the end of almost 42 years of anti-democratic rule. Less than three years after his election, Mali became a new country. In the meantime, it saw investment in construction, agriculture, tourism and mining.
Diplomatic Relations
Did you know- Since the mid-1990s, the modern state of Mali has close relations with France, English-speaking West Africa, China, and the United States of America. On September 28, 1960, it joined the United Nations.
Cinematography
Did you know- Mali is home to Souleymane Cisse, a well-known film director in West Africa. Among his movies are: "Work" (1978), "Wind" (1982), and "Light" (1984-87), as well as "Time" (1995), and "Tell Me Who You Are" (2009).
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women's rights, among them "History of the Women in America" and "Famous Americans."
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