Warnings for Travelers in Mali
Mali is a poor country in Africa. When visiting the place, you must be careful of your valuable items. There have been many robbery cases that occur in Mali.
The provinces located north of Niger River are very dangerous. The regions included in the provinces are Kidal, Gao and Koulikoro.
Many people have reported to be hijacked by the terrorists from Mali. It is possible that it will occur again. On 22nd January 2009, a group of tourists from Europe were being attacked by the Malians. One of the travelers in the group is a British national who was killed by the kidnapper. The attacks are focused on tourists. You should not wear expensive jewelry to prevent being noticed by the local people. If you want to drive in Mali, make sure the car you rent is not luxurious. Tourists driving luxurious car is more likely to be stopped by the Malian robbers.
In Mali, there are a number of kidnap cases that aims at tourist visiting the local festival. Some of the festivals which you should avoid include Festival in the Desert and Sahara Nights festival. The Festival in the Desert and Sahara Nights festivals are held in Timbuktu.
During your visit, you may encounter people coming to show their wounds to you. Since there is a lack of clinic in the area, their wounds are unable to heal properly. Some of the wounds suffer from severe infection and require immediate medical attention. If they show you their wounds, you should not bring out your first aid medicine to assist them. If you want to help them, make sure you wear gloves to avoid contracting with germs. You can clean their wounds with water and sterile lints.
It can be difficult to travel in Mali. There are very few modern facilities in the rural areas. The highest kidnap rate occurs in the regions outside of the urban center. When visiting the villages, be sure to bring your friends with you.
Demographics of Mali
Mali has a population of 13 million. The black people account for the largest population in Mali. The baby booming rate in Mali is about 3% per year. Bamako has the largest concentration of the population in Mali. Sixty eight of the people live in the rural area. Ten percent of the people of Mali live a nomadic life.
Less than 48% of the Malians are age 15 -64 years old. The rest of the people consist of children and senior people. The senior people have an age above 65 years old. It receives a high birth rate. The average life span of the Malians is 50 years old. Mali has a high rate of infant mortality. The babies died because of diseases such as AIDS, heart diseases and etc. The prevalence of HIV is widespread in Mali. Every year, 1.5% of adults in Mali died from HIV. It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of people that are affected by HIV in Mali. The major infectious diseases that are common in Mali include hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, and meningitis. The report in 2007 has shown that there are approximately 5800 deaths that are caused by HIV every year.
As of 2008, thirty two percent of the population lives in the urban center. The rate of urbanization in Mali is 4.8%. The largest ethnic groups that represent the population of Mali are Mande, Peul, and Songhai. Ninety percent of the residents in Mali are muslims. There are approximately 5% of people who are Christians. The rest of the population practices animism. The official language of Mali is French. However, most of the people in Mali speak Bambara and other African languages.
Malians aged 15 and above are educated. They can read and write in their own languages. The total population that undergo literary is around 50%. The school life expectancy is 7 years
Economy of Mali
Mali is a poor country that is situated in the western region of Africa. If you visit Mali, you will notice that it don’t have modern buildings like those in the cities. Most of their houses are made of wood. There are very few tarred roads in Mali. Most of the road are path of dirt formed by the residents in Mali. The average income in Mali is US$1500. Due to its poverty situation, richer countries have offered to lend a hand to Mali. Adjustment program that aim to increase the economic growth in Mali have been implemented. On 1st May 1995, Mali was accepted into the list of world’s poorest country in World Trade Organization.
After that, its economic started to boost. In 2002, the GDP of Mali is recorded at US$3.4 bullion. In 2005, the GDP increased by 2.4 billions to $5.8 billions. Now, it receives an average growth rate of 17.6%.
The people in Mali are involved in agricultural activities. It also produces a lot of cotton which is exported to other regions including Senegal and Ivory Coast. The cotton industry plays an important role in the economy of Mali. Because they are poor, they often grow their own food. Some of the crops which are grown by the rural people include rice, vegetables, and corn. There are several gold mines in Mali. The gold mines are concentrated in the southern region in mali. It ranks as the world’s third largest gold producer. It also has other natural resources such as kaolin, and salt.
The WTO report have shown that 80% of the people work in agriculture while the rest of 20% are involved in services sector. Due to the economic recession, the people of Mali were temporarily laid off. Mali raises livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats.
History of Mali
Mali used to be one of the countries that belonged to the Sahelian kingdoms. Mali was involved in the trans-Saharan trade. The earliest Sahelian kingdoms are the Ghana Empire. The main tribes in the Sahelian kingdom are the Soninke people. The Soninke people speak the Made language. Ghana Empire exist from the 700 A.D. to 1078 A.D. In 1079 A.D. the Almoravids conquered the Ghana Empire.
The peak in the Mali Empire occurred in the 1300 A.D. During the 1300 A.D., the cities of Djenne and Timbuktu flourished as a trade center. Later the empire was conquered by the Songhai people. The Songhai people are one of the most powerful forces in the west of Africa. In 1591, the Songhai Empire deteriorates due to the conquest of the Moroccan empire. After the sea routes were established, the Trans Saharan trade route is no longer used. Mali once suffered from a severe famine during 1738 – 1756. Due to the famine, more than half of the population in Timbuktu is dead.
During the late 19th century, the French took Mali as one of its colony. Mali came under the dominion of French Sudan. Later, Mali and Senegal joined to become Mali Federation. In 1960, France releases Mali so that it could obtain independence. After two months, Senegal decided to withdraw from the Mali Federation. The Sudanese Republic is now the single country that represents the Mali Federation. The Sudanese Republic gained its independence during 22nd September 1960. The first president of Sudanese Republic is Modibo Kedita. In 1968, Moussa Taore held a battle against the Keita military regime. Many soldiers and people died from the warfare. Traore was risen up as the new president of Mali. Under Traore’s reign, the whole country was in political turmoil. There was a another terrible famine that took place from 1968 – 1974. The influence of the Traore slowly diminished until 1980s.
Mali
Mali is a poor country that is located in Western Africa. The northern border of Mali is Algeria. In the eat, Mali is bordered by Algeria. There are 8 regions and districts in Mali including Gao, Kayes, Kidal, Bamako, Tomboctou and etc.
The border of Mali reaches into the Sahara desert. The borders of Mali cover approximately 1,240,000 square kilometer. It is the twenty fourth largest country in the world. It is slightly larger than South Africa and Angola. When you visit Mali, you will notice that the landscape is flat. It has some rolling plains that is covered with sand. It is a hot country so it frequently suffers from famine. When famine happens, millions of people will die from hunger in Mali.
Besides famine, Mali suffers from environmental problem such as soil erosion, and deforestation. The country is also lack of water. The rainy season occur from late June to early December.
Most of the people live near the Niger and Senegal rivers. The main economic activity of Mali is agriculture and fishing. Mali was once exploited by the French people for its gold. In Mali, there are a lot of uranium and salt.
In the past, the people in Mali were sold as slaves to the modern countries such as United States and Europe. When the slave law is abolished in Europe, the slave culture is still being implemented in some parts of Mali. Mali was under the dominion of the French Sudan in the late seventeenth century. Mali and Senegal form the Mali Federation in 1959. When French gave Mali Federation its freedom to become independent, Senegal withdraws and formed its own country. Mali is ranked as one of the world’s most impoverished country. Most of the people in Mali live under US$ 1.25 per day.