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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mali

“We’ve had our challenges in Mali, but we’ve been there for two decades and we’re committed to the country,” Eger said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

He deployed fighters to protect the military junta in the West African country of Mali for $10 million a month, according to the Pentagon-funded Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

Germanwatch, an independent environmental organisation, ranked Spain the world's 20th most affected country in its climate risk index for 2024, just behind Nigeria and Mali.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

These survive in the Latin proverb Mali corvi malum ovum—an immemorial testament to the discovery that it is possible to be too much of a smart-ass.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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