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.
References
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/africa/mali/
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