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

Derived Forms

• Malian
  noun

Example Sentences

Ahead of their departure, Iran played a final friendly against Mali in Antalya on Thursday, which they won 2-0.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Mali is a landlocked country and depends heavily on fuel transported from neighbouring coastal countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Conflict monitors, now watching with alarm as Islamist militants capture territory and stage attacks in Mali, urge the administration to pay closer attention to the restive Sahel region and other hot spots.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

The government of Niger said late on Thursday that the three countries had "conducted intense air campaigns" following the attacks in Mali on Saturday.

From Barron's • May 1, 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