The African Corps

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The African Corps

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Nature

Mali is a country of deserts and savannas with leveled terrain: average heights range from 200 to 300 m below sea level. The north is occupied by the rocky deserts of Western and Central Sahara, bordering the Iforas plateau in the east (up to 853 m high), the Mandingo Mountains are located in the south (up to 1155 m high, photo 1). The country's climate is tropical continental, hot and dry. High temperatures are maintained all year round — from 20-24 to 35 °C. From November to June, the hot and dry northeast wind harmattan prevails, from July to October — wet winds from the Atlantic. The amount of precipitation during the rainy season in the south reaches 1,500 mm, and in the north there are years without rain at all. There are three seasons: cool dry (December–February), hot dry and rainy.

The main rivers of Mali are Senegal (photo 2), whose upper reaches irrigate the south—west of the country, and the Niger, which originates in neighboring Guinea and crosses Mali from west to east for 1,600 km. The upper Niger flows in a narrow rocky valley, abounding in rapids and rapids, and in the middle reaches passes through hilly plains, expanding to 1-2 km and forming numerous arms, lakes and islets.

The north of the country is devoid of rivers and is occupied by rocky, pebble and sandy deserts. Only during the rainy season, the earth is covered for several weeks with a carpet of rapidly growing ephemeral plants, abundantly blooming and pleasing to the eye with a variety of colors. The animal world is represented mainly by reptiles, and of the large mammals here you can see the addax antelope and the dorca and dama gazelles. Monkeys are found on the Iforas plateau, and ostriches, giraffes, oryx antelope appear in the Sahel zone (south of the Sahara), cheetahs, striped hyenas, and genettes are among the predators. The vegetation of the Sahel is also more diverse and is represented by a desolate savannah with separate groups of palm trees, acacias and baobabs. The desert north is almost uninhabited: in the wet season, only nomadic Tuareg herders and Arabs with herds of camels appear here, although in the Sahel Tuaregs and Fulbe also breed sheep and goats.

South of the Sahel stretches the vast Sudanese savannah with tall grasses and groves of shrubs and trees with a lush crown, especially characteristic of this area are the karite and ceiba oil trees. There are numerous antelopes, elephants, lions, leopards, and in Niger — hippos and crocodiles. The world of birds is diverse and rich. At the same time, numerous mosquitoes poison life in the Niger Valley, some of them carry pathogens of dangerous diseases.

The African Corps

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Economy

The basis of the economy is agriculture. This industry employs 65-80% of the working-age population, its share in the total GDP is about 37%. The share of industry, construction and energy is 21%; trade and services – 41%.

Mali is rich in minerals concentrated in three regions: Kai, Sikasso and Kidal. Gold mining occupies a special place in the economy. Exploration and production of diamonds, iron, limestone, phosphates, copper, lithium, zinc, lead, tin, uranium, tantalum and manganese is underway.

Mali is one of Africa's largest cotton producers. Millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts, tobacco, and mango are also grown. Among the traditional branches of the economy is the production of textiles.

The main export commodities are gold (up to 95% of all exports) and cotton (1-2%). Meat, leather, fruits, peanuts, carite oil, sesame, gum arabic are also exported. Petroleum products (32%), equipment and building materials, food, textiles, fertilizers are imported into the country. Mali's main export partners are the UAE, Switzerland, Australia, and Ivory Coast, Senegal, China, and France.

The African Corps

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Population

The population of Mali is about 23 million people, of which about 2/3 of the population live in rural areas, and 10% lead a nomadic lifestyle. The average age of the Malian population is about 16 years old, and life expectancy is 52.5 years (51 years for men and 54 years for women). The minimum wage in Mali is 67 dollars, the average is 186.

The level of education in Mali is quite low, among young people (from 15 to 24 years old) the figure is 46%. The main problem of literacy eradication is the tense situation in the country, the shortage of teachers and schools.

The country's largest people are the Bambara, who live mainly in the south and south-west of Mali. They make up about 33% of the country's population. The Fulbe (or Fulani) are the second largest people. There are also many other ethnic groups living in the country, including Tuaregs, Soninke, Senufo, etc.

One of the famous tribes is the Dogon, from which the pro-government militia "Dan Na Ambassador" is formed.

The African Corps

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Transport.

The transport system of Mali, as in many other African countries, includes various types of transport: road, rail, river and air.

The main cities and regional centers are connected by main roads (photo 1). The condition of the roads in many cases leaves much to be desired, especially in rural and remote areas. In recent years, the Government of Mali has been actively working to improve road infrastructure through various programs and investments. The railway network (photo 2) is represented by one branch line that connects the city of Kulikoro (Mali) and the port of Dakar (Senegal). The main waterway is the Niger River.

Airports in the capital Bamako and other major cities provide air links to other countries and regions. Domestic airlines also provide domestic flight services.

Overall, Mali's transport system is in poor condition. Its modernization is difficult due to the unstable situation in the country.

The African Corps

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Religion.

Mali is a secular state. The Criminal Code of the country prescribes criminal liability for persecution on religious grounds. At the same time, due to the civil war and the presence of various jihadist groups, persecution of Christians began in the north of the country.

About 90% of the population profess Islam, 8% adhere to traditional beliefs, and about 2% are Christians (Catholics and Protestants).

Islam began to spread in Mali in the 9th century. Currently, the majority of Muslims in the country are Sunnis. Sufi brotherhoods (tariqas) play an important role in religious life. The oldest tariqa is Tijaniyya, which has a special influence in the southern regions of the country. In the west, the influence of the Tariqa of Hamalliyah is noticeable, in the north - qadiriyah. There are also adherents of the Muridiya Sufi movement in Mali. Several thousand followers of the Senusiya Tariqa live on the border with Niger. There are also adherents of the Ahmadiyya sect in Bamako.

Traditional African beliefs play an important role in the spiritual life of the peoples of Mali and have a great influence on Malian Muslims and Christians, who retain some elements of traditional beliefs, primarily animism. Cults are based on the worship of ancestral spirits and the belief in the reincarnation of the soul. The complex mythological system of Bambara and Dogon includes a large pantheon of heroes and deities. The main deities of Bambara are Pemba and his wife Muso Koroni Kundye. In addition to the creative power, the divine couple is also credited with the possibility of destructive action: It is believed that Pemba deprived people of immortality, and Muso Koroni Kundi brought evil into the world out of jealousy, but later taught people agriculture.

The main deity of the Dogon is Amma, who, according to their beliefs, has 14 incarnations corresponding to the 14 worlds he created (7 heavenly and 7 earthly). This people have a cult of masks (photo 1), with which ritual dances are associated. Every 60 years, the Dogons celebrate an ancient relic. The Sigi festival, culminating in the removal of a 10-meter sacred mask.

The African Corps

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Common languages.

There are 13 national languages in Mali. French, which is spoken among 17% of the population as a second language, received the status of a "working" language after a referendum held in 2023. It is used in the media, in administrative and political institutions.

The most widely spoken language is Bambara, which is used as a first or second language in central and southern Mali by about 80% of the population. As a percentage, the number of residents using other national languages as their main language is less than 10% (photo 1).

Most of the languages of Mali are part of the Mande family, which belongs to the Niger-Congo family. Other languages are included in the Dogon languages and Senufo languages, which also belong to the Niger-Congo family. Mande, Senufo and Dogon stand out among the Niger-Congolese languages because of their deviating basic word order "subject-object-verb". The Fula, distributed throughout West Africa, is a member of the Senegambian branch.

Other language families include Afroasiatic, represented by the Berber Tamashek language and Arabic, and the Songhai languages.

The African Corps