Mali
is located in the northwestern quadrant of the African continent. Mali covers
almost 1.25 million kilometers of land, and is about twice the size of Texas.
There are two major cities in Mali: Bamako and Timbuktu. Bamako is the largest
city in Mali and is also the capital city. It is located at 12.6500 N, 8.0000 W
on a coordinate map. Timbuktu was a major city for the trade route during the
Middle Ages and was also a major Islamic center in Mali. In fact, anyone who
was not of Muslim faith was banned from the city during this time. Timbuktu is
now known as “the city in the middle of nowhere” (www.enchantedlearning.com). Timbuktu is located at 16.7758 N, 3.0094 W on the
coordinate map.
Mali
has an interesting dynamic when it comes to climate. Half of Mali is covered by
the Sahara desert, and the desert grows bigger each year. Mali’s climate is one
that is subtropical meaning it is a warm but dry climate. Because this climate
is so dry, it makes it difficult to grow many crops; only two to four percent
of Mali’s land is capable of producing farm crops. However, 70-80 percent of
Malians make their living through farming and/or fishing. Mali does have one
major river that runs East to West through it, and then another one that runs
on its border with Senegal. The major river is the Niger River, and this is the
river where most of the water, transportation, and fishing benefit the nation.
The Senegal River is a natural divider between Mali and Senegal and is a source
of protection to Mali from the people of Senegal.
Mali
is a fascinating country and many people do not know much about this amazing
country. This blog will help explain important facts about Mali and what makes
this country unique and different from other African countries.
The country of Mali had many different forms of art,
but all of the ancient traditional art pieces had a day to day purpose or
meaning and were usually linked back to religion, health, harmony in the
village, or agriculture work. Mali has had a lot of rich art throughout the
history of the country, and this week’s post will highlight some of the main
types.
One
form of art that is commonly seen around Mali is different types of cloth.
Wedding blankets are usually blue indigo cloths from the village of Tuareg and
are sold all around the country of Mali. Jewelry is also an important part of
art and is worn by both men and women. Gold is the predominant material of
jewelry in Mali. In fact some of the more wealthy people wear 14 carat gold
earrings that are so big and heavy that they have to be wrapped with red wool
or silk near the top to protect the ear!
Another
major type of art in Mali is wood carving. Wooden sculptures are a major part
of this and are naturalistic in nature. Gender is extremely important in the
Mali culture so when a wooden sculpture is made, the size of body parts is
emphasized so it is very obvious which gender the sculpture is supposed be.
Masks are another important part of wood carving. It is believed that when a
person dies the spirit of the person dwells in a mask. Exquisite wooden doors,
locks, and other house identifiers are also made for the mud buildings of the
wood carvers.
Other
forms of art in Mali include music and storytelling. Music in Mali consists of
many rhythms and tunes at the same time. They use many instruments including
flutes, strings and drums. The drums were also used for communication and come
in many different shapes and sizes. Storytellers were called griots and were
usually the village entertainers, historians, or genealogists. They would
usually tell stories about the great leaders of Mali as well as life events of
the people in the village. One of the greatest stories and one that has become
quite famous is about Sundjata (the founder of the Mali empire) or as he is
better known “the Lion King”.
Mali has a rich history
and many pieces of art, music, and stories come from this rich history. Mali’s
unique culture and country events played a role in the making of all of this
art, and should be cherished and studied for many years to come.
The
religion of Mali has stayed pretty much the same, but has just become more
defined over the years. Mali’s religion is often referred to as a type of
animistic religion because they believe in more than one god. Traditionally,
many ethnic groups on the western part of Africa believed in the “spirits of
the land”. These spirits were believed to help make their crops grow faster and
more plentiful. These spirits had been arranged by ancestors, and therefore
connected with deceased loved ones is essential in the Malian culture. The
Mansa, or village head/chief, had the closest connection with the spirits.
Today, only those who live in rural area still hold to these beliefs and honor
the spirits and deceased loved ones.
During the trans-Sahara
trade in the thirteenth century, Islam made its way into Mali and it has now
become the dominate religion of the country. Sundjata, the founder of the Mali
Empire, was not Muslim, but most of the rulers that followed after him were
Muslim and that is how is became the religion of the entire country.
In 1324, Mansa Musa,
who was a grandson of one of Sundjata’s sisters, was Muslim. He rode over 3,000
miles across the desert to Mecca as part of his Muslim faith. He had with him
over 60,000 people including his wife.
Islam
has since become a huge part of Malian culture. Two huge Muslim universities
were founded in Mali: one in Timbuktu and the other in Djenne. Islam has become
the religion of every king, chief, trader, and most townspeople. Although the
traditional beliefs of the Malian people were not rejected at first; Islam came
and was a religion that worked alongside their spiritual beliefs. Through going
on the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) that is major part of the Islamic religion,
the people in Mail gained assess and exposure to geography, literature,
history, mathematics, astronomy, science, and medicine. These all enriched the
life and culture of the Malian people.
Mali’s natural resources have not changed much over the
years, but they are different in different regions of the country. In the
northern part of the country where the climate is dry the main resource is
pastoralism of cattle, goats, sheep and camels. In the south where the climate
is wetter, crops are the main resource. The two types of crops that are grown
today are food crops and cash crops. The food crops that are grown are millet,
sorghum, corn, rice, cassava, and yams. The cash crops that they have are
cotton, rice, peanuts, tobacco, and kola nuts. Agricultural products are traded
between the north and the south of the country.
The
wealth and prosperity of Mali was based on the trans-Sahara trade route. The
most common and profitable products that Mali sold and traded on the trade
route were gold and salt. Gold was first mined along the Senegal River and then
the Niger River. Gold is still mined today and is still a major resource in
Mali. Salt was mined in the Sahara and can still be found in the market in
Timbuktu, Mopti, and other Niger towns. Other products that were traded on
trans-Sahara trade route were iron, copper, cloth, books, pearls, ivory,
leather, rubber, and even human slaves.
Salt
and gold dust were used as currency and after the fourteenth century, cowrie
shells were also introduced into the currency. Mali is one of the world’s poorest
countries. Today, products in Mali only sell for a minimum price, and therefore
farmers and other sellers are growing just enough products and selling just
enough to get by and survive on. Fishing has become a growing industry that has
become profitable in Mali. Fishing as well as new gold mining operations give
new hope to the Malian people that they can still find economic growth and
prosperity.
Mali
is an interesting country that has had a rich history to build a nation on.
Their dynamics of religion, art, and natural resources have played a vital role
in making the country what it is today. Mali is still developing as a nation
and trying to grow stronger as an established nation and get a better economy
under its wing to become the best country it can be.
References
