The Baoulé River (french: Fleuve Baoulé, from
Manding Manding may refer to:
* Manding languages, a language-dialect continuum in West Africa
* Mandinka (disambiguation)
** Mandinka language, one of the Manding languages
** Mandinka people, a West African ethnic group
* The Mandé peoples who speak Man ...
for "Red River") is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
. It flows from a source west of
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...
to the
Bakoy downastream of
Toukoto
Toukoto is a small town and commune near the confluence of the Bakoy and Baloué rivers in the Cercle of Kita in the Kayes Region of south-western Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄 ...
and forms part of the
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
watershed.
[.][.]
In
Manding Manding may refer to:
* Manding languages, a language-dialect continuum in West Africa
* Mandinka (disambiguation)
** Mandinka language, one of the Manding languages
** Mandinka people, a West African ethnic group
* The Mandé peoples who speak Man ...
languages, Baoulé signifies 'red river',
Bakoye 'white river' and
Bafing 'black river'.
Geography
The Baoulé's source is in the hills 120 kilometers south-west of Bamako near the Guinean border. It flows in a northerly direction for more than 200 kilometers, then turns to the west, making a wide meander, then a large northerly loop. Throughout this stretch, it constitutes the northern limit of the
Boucle du Baoulé National Park
The Boucle du Baoulé National Park lies in western Mali, in Kayes Region and Koulikoro Region, set up in 1982. It has an area of 25,330 km² but has little large wildlife. The park is known for its prehistoric rock art and tombs. It is pa ...
. The last part of the Baoule flows in a southwesterly direction. It reaches the Bakoye on the right bank, about twelve kilometers downstream from Toukoto, almost doubling its flow.
Its total length is about 500 kilometers. It is not navigable.
Flow
The average monthly flow, tracked over a period of 39 years (1952-1990) at a station opposite the small town of Bougouda at the Bakoy-Baoule confluence, was for a drainage area of approximately .
[Numbers calculated on the basis of measurements made on the Bakoye at Toukot]
GRDC - Le Bakoye à Toukoto
and Oual
upstream and downstream respectively of the confluence.
References
Rivers of Mali
Senegal River
{{Mali-river-stub