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Mali tourist information with details about travel to and around the country. Where to stay and what to see is made easier with insider tips and hand-selected Mali links, by dedicated editors and visitors to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel. Order Mali Travel Brochures - for Free. The Republic of Mali was a former French colony. Its capital is Bamako. Countries neighbouring Mali are: Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal and Mauritania.
Modern Mali was made part of the French colony of Haut-Senegal-Niger in 1904, and in 1920 it became the French Sudan. On January 17, 1959, the French Sudan joined with Senegal to form the Federation of Mali; which proclaimed its independence on June 20, 1960. The federation broke up in August. Senegal became a separate state, and the former French Sudan kept the name of Mali. Weather in MaliView a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in places around Mali. Bamako Weather, Kita Weather, Timbuktu Weather. Early Times in Western Sudan In earlier times, Mali was the centre of the great empires of the western Sudan: Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Djenné, Timbuktu, and Gao, were the focus of trade, religious learning, and culture. The empire of Mali reached its peak in the early 14th century under Mansa Musa. The Songhai Empire of Gao, took over, with kings Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad coming to the throne. The great Songhai Empire was in turn crushed by a Moroccan invasion in 1591. The People of Mali The Dogon tribe, part of the large Mandingo population in Mali, build their unique villages in cliffs and hilly areas. Nomadic Tuaregs and other Berbers roam the Sahel and parts of the Sahara. Some of the armed Tuaregs have been known to rob or kidnap travellers in the north of Mali. The official language of Mali is French, but the majority of the population speak Bambara or other African languages. Islam is the main religion of Malians, although some people still follow traditional beliefs. Mali Pages: Mali Web: Mali by RoadAbout ten per cent of Mali's 18,000 km of roads are paved. Mali by RailA railway links Koulikoro, Bamako, and Kayes with Dakar, in Senegal. Mali by BoatThe River Niger, cutting an arc through the southern part of Mali, is a valuable communication route; connecting the mysterious outpost of Timbuktu with Bamako. Most of the River Niger, in Mali, is navigable by small steamboats from July to January. During the rainy season it is also possible to travel down the Senegal River from Kayes to Saint-Louis, on the Atlantic Ocean. Mali by AirAirlines and Airports: Although little more than a village when it was occupied by French troops, in 1883, Bamako was an important centre of Muslim scholarship in the Mali Empire. It became the capital of the colony of French Sudan in 1908 and continued as the national capital of Mali in 1960. Today it is the focus of Malian music, and some excellent bands are staged at the Bamako Station Buffet. Fatime's
Bed and Breakfast: Tuareg Nomads founded Timbuktu as a seasonal camp on the southern edge of the Sahara around the year 1100. Timbuktu became an important end station of trans-Saharan caravans and a distribution point for trade along the upper Niger when it was part of the Mali Empire, and a renowned centre of Islamic study in the Songhai Empire. The city declined in importance after the Moroccans attacked, in 1591, and commerce was diverted to other cities. Timbuktu is still best reached by boat or camel; making getting there something of an adventure in itself. Saga Tours: Book Mali hotels online to save yourself time and money. Hotels
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