Mali: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Mali

Mali is a large landlocked country in West Africa. Its north reaches deep into the Sahara Desert, while the Niger River brings water to the south. It is famous for ancient cities of learning, such as Timbuktu, and mosques built of mud.

About Bamako

Bamako lies on the Niger River in southwestern Mali. It is the country's largest city and is known for its lively markets and famous music scene.

Fun facts about Mali

1. The Great Mosque of Djenné is often called the largest mud-brick building in the world.
2. Every year, people in Djenné hold a festival to replaster the Great Mosque with fresh mud.
3. Timbuktu was once a great centre of learning, and its libraries still hold thousands of old handwritten manuscripts.
4. Mansa Musa, emperor of the Mali Empire in the 1300s, is believed to be one of the wealthiest people in history.
5. Each year the Niger River floods a huge area of central Mali, creating a vast wetland called the Inner Niger Delta.
6. The Dogon people of the Cliff of Bandiagara, a UNESCO site, build villages and granaries along steep sandstone cliffs.