Kayes ( Bambara: ߞߊߦߌ tr. ''Kayi'', Soninké: ''Xaayi'') is a city in western Mali on the

Sénégal River ,french: Fleuve Sénégal) , name_etymology = , image = Senegal River Saint Louis.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Fishermen on the bank of the Senegal River estuary at the outskirts of Saint-Louis, Senegal ...

with a population of 127,368 at the 2009 census. Kayes is the capital of the

administrative region Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

of the same name. The name "Kayes" comes from the Soninké word "karré", which describes a low humid place that floods in rainy season. The city is located northwest of the capital Bamako.

History

Prior to French colonial expansion, Kayes was a small village. Its location on the path of the future Dakar-Niger Railway, and the French need for trade centers, led to the creation of the Kayes market town in 1881. It remains a transport hub, primarily for Senegalese trade, to this day. In 1892, Kayes became the capital of the

French Sudan French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

; Bamako replaced it as the capital, first of the state of

Haut Sénégal-Niger Upper Senegal and Niger () was a colony in French West Africa, created on 21 October 1904 from colonial Senegambia and Niger by the decree "For the Reorganisation of the general government of French West Africa". At its creation, the "Colony of ...

on October 17, 1899, then as the capital of all of French Sudan in 1908.

Economy and transport

Kayes lies on the Route Nationale 1 (RN1) highway and is by road from Bamako and from the border with Senegal. The town has an international airport ( Kayes Airport), and lies on the Dakar-Niger Railway which offered regional passenger train service to Bamako three times a week via Kati and Diamou as of 2013. The area is rich in gold and iron.

Climate

Kayes has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

( Köppen climate classification ''BSh''). The climate is subject to the West African Monsoon with all the rainfall occurring between June and October. August is the wettest month. There is almost no rainfall during the other seven months of the year. The total annual rainfall is around . Kayes is nicknamed the "pressure cooker of Africa" due to its extreme heat; the town is surrounded by iron-rich mountains which contribute to the temperature. The town has been described as the hottest continuously inhabited town in Africa. The average daily high temperature in the city is , with temperatures usually peaking in April and May at an average of nearly .

Area

Sites found in and around Kayes include: * Fort du Médine *

Félou Falls The Félou Falls (french: Chutes du Félou) are located on the Sénégal River upstream of Kayes in western Mali. The river tumbles down an irregular series of rocky steps. The waterfalls mark the furthest point from the mouth of the river that ...

, upstream on the Senegal river * Gouina Falls, to the southeast on the Senegal river * The ''tata'' ( fortification) of Koniakari, constructed by El Hadj Umar Tall, to the northeast * Lake Magui and Lake Doro, both watered by the Kolimbiné River * The

Manantali Dam The Manantali Dam is a multi-purpose dam on the Bafing river in the Senegal River basin, to the south-east of Bafoulabé, in Mali's Kayes Region. History Early planning for the dam began in 1972 when the Organization for the Development of the ...

References

* Portions of this article are a translation of French language Wikipedia's Kayes.

External links