Mali Cities

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Mali Cities by Population

36 cities shown of 36 total Mali cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Bamako 1,297,281
2. Sikasso 144,786
3. Mopti 108,456
4. Koutiala 99,353
5. Kayes Ndi 97,464
6. Segou 92,552
7. Gao 87,000
8. Kayes 78,406
9. Markala 53,738
10. Kolokani 48,774
11. Kati 42,922
12. Bougouni 35,450

13. Tombouctou 32,460
14. Banamba 30,591
15. Bafoulabe 26,823
16. San 24,811
17. Koulikoro 23,919
18. Djenne 22,382
19. Yorosso 17,447
20. Kangaba 17,232
21. Kidal 11,643
22. Dire 10,943
23. Kolondieba 10,041
24. Ke-Macina 9,848

25. Menaka 9,110
26. Goundam 8,456
27. Douentza 8,054
28. Tenenkou 7,471
29. Niafounke 6,901
30. Bandiagara 6,853
31. Kinmparana 6,014
32. Kita 5,769
33. Sokolo 4,374
34. Araouane 4,026
35. Taoudenni 3,019
36. Ansongo 3,000

Mali History

Mali was once part of three famed West African empires which controlled trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and other precious commodities. These Sahelian kingdoms had neither rigid geopolitical boundaries nor rigid ethnic identities. The earliest of these empires was the Ghana Empire, which was dominated by the Soninke, a Mande-speaking people. The nation expanded throughout West Africa from the 8th century until 1078, when it was conquered by the Almoravids.

The Mali Empire later formed on the upper Niger River, and reached the height of power in the fourteenth century. Under the Mali Empire, the ancient cities of Djenn and Timbuktu were centers of both trade and Islamic learning. The empire later declined as a result of internal intrigue, ultimately being supplanted by the Songhai Empire. The Songhai people originated in current northwestern Nigeria. The Songhai had long been a major power in West Africa subject to the Mali Empire's rule. In the late 14th century, the Songhai gradually gained independence from the Mali Empire and expanded, ultimately subsuming the entire eastern portion of the Mali Empire. The Songhai Empire's eventual collapse was largely the result of a Berber invasion in 1591. The fall of the Songhai Empire marked the end of the region's role as a trading crossroads. Following the establishment of sea routes by the European powers, the trans-Saharan trade routes lost significance.

In the colonial era, Mali fell under the control of the French beginning in the late 1800s. By 1905, most of the area was under firm French control as a part of French Sudan. In early 1959, Mali and Senegal united to become the Mali Federation. The Mali Federation gained independence from France on June 20, 1960. Senegal withdrew from the federation in August 1960, which allowed the Sudanese Republic to form the independent nation of Mali on September 22, 1960. Modibo Keta was elected the first president. Keta quickly established a one-party state, adopted an independent African and socialist orientation with close ties to the East, and implemented extensive nationalization of economic resources.

In November 1968, following progressive economic decline, the Keta regime was overthrown in a bloodless military coup led by Moussa Traor. The subsequent military-led regime, with Traor as president, attempted to reform the economy. However, his efforts were frustrated by political turmoil and a devastating drought between 1968 to 1974. The Traor regime faced student unrest beginning in the late 1970s and three coup attempts. However, the Traor regime repressed all dissenters until the late 1980s. The government continued to attempt economic reforms, and the populace became increasingly dissatisfied. In response to growing demands for multi-party democracy, the Traor regime allowed some limited political liberalization, but refused to usher in a full-fledged democratic system. In 1990, cohesive opposition movements began to emerge, and was complicated by the turbulent rise of ethnic violence in the north following the return of many Tuaregs to Mali.

Anti-government protests in 1991 led to a coup, a transitional government, and a new constitution. In 1992, Alpha Oumar Konar won Mali's first democratic, multi-party presidential election. Upon his reelection in 1997, President Konar pushed through political and economic reforms and fought corruption. In 2002, he was succeeded in democratic elections by Amadou Toumani Tour, a retired general, who had been the leader of the military aspect of the 1991 democratic uprising. Today, Mali is one of the most politically and socially stable countries in Africa.