The largest country in West Africa, Mali is bordered on the North by Algeria, on the East and Southeast by Niger, on the South by Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, and on the West by Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. In the south, traversed by the Niger and Senegal rivers, are fertile areas where peanuts, rice, and cotton are grown. Elsewhere the country is arid desert or semi desert. Although large swathes of Mali are barren, the country is self-sufficient in food thanks to the fertile Niger river basin in the south and east.

During the Middle Ages, the Moslem empire of Mali covered most of West Africa. For several centuries, Mali was a center of Islamic culture and prosperity. When Trans Saharan routes were in use by traders in olden days, Mali was a trading center and a tax collection point. The empires developed because of trade in gold and salt and other goods. Slaves were also transported along this route. Their control of the Trans-Saharan trade route was finally broken by European traders. By the end of the 19th century, France annexed the country, which became independent in 1960.

Today, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. But since 1992, when the country's first democratically elected president took power, Mali has had a civilian government.

Malians continue to draw a sense of national pride from the heritage of the Songay and Malian empires. Visitors can experience the way of living in the Sahara, enjoy the local tribes' songs and dances, and ride camels with the Tuaregs, the 'Blue Princes' of the desert. The hidden city of Timbuktu, the mythical gate of the Sahara, is the last wonder of Western explorers. This old city was a beehive of activity in its heydays in the past. By the 15th century, Timbuktu was a major trading center for salt and gold on the Trans-Saharan trade route. Later on it assumed the status of a great Islamic learning center. There are several beautiful mosques and tombs dating back to the 14th century. Bamako, the capital, is a modern city and the cultural center of Mali. The main places of interest are the markets, the Botanical Gardens, the Musée National, the zoo and the craft center at the Maison des Artisans.

Mali is also famous for its music and musicians from the days of the Mali Empire. The traditional music of Mali is based on the songs of the jalis (griots), a distinct caste of people in the social structure. Mali still maintains a key role in the contemporary African music scene.

Geography
Mali is a landlocked republic, sharing borders with Mauritania, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Senegal. It is a vast land of flat plains fed by two major rivers, the Senegal on its western edge and the great River Niger. On its journey north the Niger converges with the River Bani, and forms a rich inland delta, the marshlands of the Macina, stretching for some 450km (280 miles) along the river’s length, in some places 200km (124 miles) wide. The central part of the country is arid grazing land, called the Sahel, which has suffered great drought. At Timbuktu, the Niger reaches the desert and here it turns first to the east, then to the southeast at Bourem, where it heads for the ocean. In the desert, near the Algerian and Niger borders in the northeast, the Adrar des Iforas massif rises 800m (2625ft). The north of the country is true desert except for the few oases along the ancient trans-Saharan camel routes. Tuaregs still live around these oases and camel routes. Further south live the Peulh cattle-raising nomads. The majority of the population lives in the savannah region in the south. The peoples of this region comprise Songhai, Malinke, Senoufou, Dogon and the Bambara (the largest ethnic group).