Mali

American  

[mah-lee] / ˈmɑ li /

noun

1. Republic of Mali, a republic in western Africa: formerly a territory of France; gained independence 1960. 463,500 sq. mi. (120,000 sq. km). Bamako.

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Mali British  

/ ˈmɑːlɪ /

noun

1. Former name (1898–1959): French Sudan. a landlocked republic in West Africa: conquered by the French by 1898 and incorporated (as French Sudan) into French West Africa; became independent in 1960; settled chiefly in the basins of the Rivers Senegal and Niger in the south. Official language: French. Religion: Muslim majority, also animist. Currency: franc. Capital: Bamako. Pop: 15 968 882 (2013 est). Area: 1 248 574 sq km (482 077 sq miles)

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Mali Cultural  

1. Republic in west Africa bordered by Algeria to the north and east, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast to the south, Guinea to the southwest, Senegal and Mauritania to the west. Its capital is Bamako. It became an independent nation in 1960.

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Discover More

During the Middle Ages, Mali formed a huge territorial empire, noted as a center of Islamic study and as a trade route for gold. Its center was Timbuktu.

Other Word Forms

• Malian
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mali

In Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Nigeria, the figure is more than 90 percent of the active population.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

The Alliance of Sahel States - composed of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso - said the attempted coup was "a betrayal by a group of soldiers involved in an attempt at destabilisation".

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Niger has been hit by jihadist violence for more than a decade and, like its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, is struggling to contain it.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are all military-ruled countries that have cut ties with Western partners and strengthened their co-operation with Russia.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

One cannot just introduce good institutions to poor countries like Paraguay and Mali and expect those countries to adopt the institutions and achieve the per-capita GNPs of the United States and Switzerland.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond