The Mali–Mauritania border is 2,236 km (1,389 m) in length and runs from the

tripoint A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...

with

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

in the north to the tripoint with

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

in the south-west.

Description

The border starts in the north at the tripoint with Algeria, and then proceeds westwards in a straight line along the

25th parallel north Following are circles of latitude between the 20th parallel north and the 25th parallel north: 21st parallel north The 21st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 21 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia ...

for 172 km (107 m). It then turns south-east in a long straight segment of some 955 km (593 m), followed by a much shorter straight line further to the south-east for 34 km (21 m), and a straight line to south-west for 94 km (59 m), before veering sharply to the west along a horizontal line for some 409 km (254 m). The border then briefly shifts northwards, creating a small protrusion of Malian territory encompassing the towns of Labidi and Debai Amati. Following this, the border then continues westwards via series of irregular lines, as well as following some streams such as the Oumm el Bohoro and the Ouadou. It eventually reaches the Kolinbiné River, which it follows down to confluence with the

Senegal River The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...

; the boundary then follows the latter west to the tripoint with Senegal.

History

The 1880s saw an intense competition between the European powers for territories in Africa, a process known as the

Scramble for Africa The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonialism, colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the era of ...

. The process culminated in the

Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin,

of 1884, in which the European nations concerned agreed upon their respective territorial claims and the rules of engagements going forward. As a result of this

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

gained control the upper valley of the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...

(roughly equivalent to the areas of modern Mali and Niger). France occupied this area in 1900, followed by Mauritania in 1903–4. Mali (then referred to as

French Sudan French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formall ...

) was originally included, along with modern Niger and Burkina Faso, within the

Upper Senegal and 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 ...

colony, however it was later split off and, along with Mauritania, became a constituent of the federal colony of

French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...

(''Afrique occidentale française'', abbreviated AOF). AOFMap1936

Mauritania had been largely 'pacified' by 1912, and an initial border between Mali and Mauritania was then drawn on 23 April 1913; this line was drastically different to the current border, with Mali encompassing the entirety of what is now south-east Mauritania (''see map right''). A decree of 5 July 1944 altered the border to roughly its current position. Another decree of October 1944 would have transferred further territory to Mauritania in the south, however this was never enacted. As the movement for decolonisation grew in the post-

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

era, France gradually granted more political rights and representation for their sub-Saharan African colonies, culminating in the granting of broad internal autonomy to French West Africa in 1958 within the framework of the

French Community The French Community () was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which had reorganized the colonial em ...

. Eventually, in 1960, both Mauritania and Mali were granted full independence. On 16 February 1963 the two states signed a boundary treaty at

Kayes Kayes ( Bambara: ߞߊߦߌ tr. ''Kayi'', Soninké: ''Xaayi'') is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River with a population of 127,368 at the 2009 census. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The city is loc ...

, modifying the boundary slightly. In recent years the border region has become very insecure, due to a rise in terrorism and the war in northern Mali, prompting Mauritania to declare the border a 'no-go zone' in 2017. However, the border line remains undetermined.

Settlements near the border

Mali

* Aguerakten * Beidat * Bona Hamadi * Mame * Farkeli * Kassakare * Ballé * Bineou * Diandioume * Debai Amate * Labidi * Djeli-Mahe * Takoutala * Kemiss *

Diongaga Diongaga is a small town and principal settlement of the ''commune'' of Diafounou Diongaga in the Cercle of Yélimané in the Kayes Region of south-western Mali, located just south of the border with Mauritania Mauritania, officially th ...

* Tafara * Davo * Seliferi * Melgue * Lany Tounka * Tafacirga

Mauritania

* Medala * Koussana * Terbekou * Bousteila * Moribougou * Koriga * Kersiniane * Kalinioro

References