The Gao Region (
Bambara: ߜߊߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Gao Dineja) is a region in northeastern
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. Mal ...
. The capital city is
Gao
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
.
Geography
The region is bordered to the north by
Kidal Region
Kidal Region ( Bambara: ߞߌߘߊߟ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Kidal Dineja) the eighth administrative region of Mali, covering . This area was formerly part of Gao Region, but was created as a separate region in 1991. It is located in the north of the coun ...
, to the west by
Tombouctou Region
Tombouctou Region ( Bambara: ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Tumutu Dineja) is one of the administrative regions of Mali. For administrative purposes, the region is subdivided into five cercles.
The region is part of northern Mali that was separ ...
and
Taoudénit Region
ar, تودني bam, ߕߊߎߘߋߣߌ ߘߌߣߋߖߊfrench: Taoudénit
, native_name_lang =
, type = Region
, image_skyline =
, image_alt =
, image_caption =
, nickname ...
, to the east by the
Ménaka Region, and most of the south by
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Tahoua Region
Tahoua is one of eight Regions of Niger. The capital of the region is the commune of Tahoua. The region covers 106,677 km².
Geography
Tahoua borders Agadez Region to the northeast, Maradi Region to the southeast, Nigeria's Sokoto State to ...](_blank)
and
Tillabéri Region
Tillabéri (var. ''Tillabéry'') is one of the eight Regions of Niger; the capital of the Region is Tillabéri. Tillabéri Region was created in 1992, when Niamey Region was split, with Niamey and its immediate hinterland becoming a new ''capital ...
), sharing a portion of the southern border with
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...
(
Sahel Region
Sahel is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001. The region's capital is Dori. Four provinces make up the region— Oudalan, Séno, Soum, and Yagha.
As of 2019, the population of the region was 1,094, ...
).
Demographics
Common ethnicities in the Gao Region include the
Songhai,
Bozo
Bozo or bozo may refer to:
People
*Bozo people, a fishing people of the central Niger delta in Mali
** Bozo language, languages of the Bozo people
* Frédéric Bozo, history Professor at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
* Bozo Mille ...
,
Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Alg ...
,
Bambara, and Kounta. The towns include Gao,
Bourem
Bourem is a commune and small town in the Gao Region of northeastern Mali. The town sits on the left bank of the River Niger
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its ...
, and
Bamba.
The Gao Region is part of Mali, the northern part that was separated and declared independent by the
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad or the Azawad National Liberation Movement (Tamasheq: '; ar, الحركة الوطنية لتحرير أزواد ''al-Ḥarakat al-Waṭaniyat Litaḥrīr ʾĀzawād''; french: Mouvement nati ...
(MNLA) during the
Tuareg rebellion of 2012. After the
1st Battle of Gao, the MNLA lost control to
Islamist militias. Several other battles took place during the war, particularly in Gao.
Administrative subdivisions
For administrative purposes, the Gao Region is divided into three
''cercles'':
[.]
History
Gao Region formerly comprised the entire eastern portion of the country, east of
Tombouctou Region
Tombouctou Region ( Bambara: ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Tumutu Dineja) is one of the administrative regions of Mali. For administrative purposes, the region is subdivided into five cercles.
The region is part of northern Mali that was separ ...
. In 1991 the northern half of Gao Region became
Kidal Region
Kidal Region ( Bambara: ߞߌߘߊߟ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Kidal Dineja) the eighth administrative region of Mali, covering . This area was formerly part of Gao Region, but was created as a separate region in 1991. It is located in the north of the coun ...
.
See also
*
Cercles of Mali
*
Regions of Mali
References
External links
* .
Regions of Mali
Azawad
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