Sikasso Region (
Bambara: ߛߌߞߊߛߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Sikaso Dineja) is the southernmost region of
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. Ma ...
. The region's capital city,
Sikasso, is the country's second-largest city. Major ethnic groups include the
Senoufo
The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the we ...
, known for masks and reverence for animals, the
Samago, known for being Mali's best farmers, and the main ethnic group in Mali, the
Bambara people
The Bambara ( bm, ߓߡߊߣߊ߲, italics=no, ''Bamana'' or ''Banmana'') are a Mandé ethnic group native to much of West Africa, primarily southern Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They have been associated with the historic Bambara Em ...
.
Administrative divisions
Sikasso Region is divided into seven
''cercles'':
[.]
The city of Sikasso is known for a vibrant outdoor market which features fabrics, numerous vegetables and fruits (especially
mangoes, for which Sikasso is particularly renowned.) Sikasso is an ethnic and linguistic
melting pot
The melting pot is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative being a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous throu ...
featuring people from outlying villages, immigrants from Côte d'Ivoire and
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 the ...
and refugees.
The southwest corner of the Sikasso region is traditionally known as
Wassoulou. This area is known for its unique music and strong tradition of hunting. The main city of Wassoulou is
Yanfolila.
Besides the regional capital, the other urban communes and major cities in Sikasso Region are
Bougouni, a junction town en route to
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the 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 the Niger River ...
(the capital of Mali), and
Koutiala
Koutiala ( Bambara: ߞߎߕߌߊߟߊ tr. Kutiala) is a city in Mali in the administrative region of Sikasso, and is located 140 km north of the city of Sikasso. Koutiala serves as the capital of its administrative Cercle, home to 575,253 p ...
in the northern part of Sikasso Region, which is the hub of Mali's highly productive cotton industry, which produces one of the country's few exports.
Communities
* Mandela
See also
*
Regions of Mali
Since 2016, Mali has been divided into ten regions and one capital district. A reorganization of the country from eight to nineteen regions was passed into law in 2012, but of the new regions, only Taoudénit (partitioned from Tombouctou Region) ...
*
Cercles of Mali
A cercle is the second-level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into eight ''régions'' and one capital district (Bamako); the ''régions'' are subdivided into 49 ''cercles''. These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city.
...
References
External links
*.
*.
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Regions of Mali