Key Facts About Mali

News: Mali’s defence minister was killed in a suicide truck bombing during coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and separatist groups.

Key Facts About Mali

• Location: Mali is a landlocked country of Western Africa and lies largely in the Saharan and Sahelian regions.
• Bordered by: It shares borders with Algeria in the north, Niger and Burkina Faso in the east, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea in the south, and Senegal and Mauritania in the west.
• Capital: Its capital city is Bamako, which is located on the Niger River.
• Climate: It has a tropical savanna climate in the south which gradually changes into a desert climate in the north.
• Terrain : Mali is largely flat and arid and about 65% of its area is covered by desert or semi-desert.
• Regional variation: The Sahara Desert occupies a large part of the country, and the landscape gradually changes from desert in the north to the Sahel region and then to the Sudanian savanna in the south, showing a clear north–south transition.
• Highest peak: The highest point is Hombori Tondo (1,155 m).
• Major rivers: The Niger River flows through the interior and serves as the main trading and transport artery, while the Sénégal River also forms part of the drainage system.
• Unique Feature: The Prime Meridian passes through the city of Gao.
• Vegetation: Vegetation follows climatic zones, with savanna in the south, steppe vegetation in the Sahel, and almost no vegetation in the Sahara region.
• Fauna: Animal life includes gazelles, antelopes, giraffes, elephants, lions, panthers, hyenas, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, monkeys, snakes, and birds like ostrich.