Mali

[mah-lee]

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.

Mali

/ 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)

Mali

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.

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

Some have arrived under army escort from Niger, an ally that, like Mali, is also run by a military junta.

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The authorities say it maintains ties with jihadist networks in Mali and Niger, and members have settled among border communities, marrying locally and recruiting young people.

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A military junta seized power in Mali in 2021, forcing French troops to leave after accusing them of failing to stem the insurgency.

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The group "is already in other African countries such as Libya, Niger and Burkina Faso, where they do mainly training", said Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali.

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Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said that Mali's military and an affiliated militia killed at least 31 civilians and burned homes in two attacks on villages in the central Segou region last month.

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