Description flag of Mali
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Local names
Republique de Mali (long)
Mali (short)
Former name
French Sudan and Sudanese Republic
Nationality
Malian(s) (noun) Mali (adjective)
Languages spoken
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages
Population
12,324,029 ranked 72, (data 2008)
Geography
divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan. The lowest point is Senegal River 23 m.
Land borders
7,243km, Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km.
Administrative divisions
8 regions (regions, singular - region); Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou
Independence
22 September 1960 (from France)