Mali, Africa: What are Mali's Natural Resources?

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.