Koulikoro Region ( Bambara: ߞߎߟߌߞߏߙߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Kulikoro Dineja) is a region in western Mali. It is the second administrative area of Mali and covers an area of 90,120 km². Its capital is the city of Koulikoro.

Geography

The region of Koulikoro is bordered by

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

on the north, the region of Kayes on the west, by

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

and the region of Sikasso on the south, and by the region of Ségou to the east. In 2009 the Koulikoro Region had a population of 2,418,305. These were mainly Bambaras, Malinkés Sonikes and around the Niger River. The region is irrigated by several rivers, including the Niger, Baoulé,

Sankarani Sankarani is a rural commune in the Cercle of Yanfolila in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. The commune covers an area of 229 square kilometers and includes 8 villages.. In the 2009 census it had a population of 7,876. The village of Bambal ...

, Baogé, Bani and Bafing. The climate of the region's south has the high rainfall typical of the

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, while north of the Kita-Bamako axis, it tends to a

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

ian aridity. The largest cities of the region are

Kati KATI (94.3 FM), branded as 94.3 KAT Country, is a radio station which broadcasts country music and St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Licensed to California, Missouri, the station serves the Jefferson City area and is owned by the Zimmer Radio Group ...

, Koulikoro,

Kolokani Kolokani is a town of approximately 57,307 inhabitants in Mali's Koulikoro Region. It is the capital of the Cercle of Kolokani, which consists of 10 rural communes (Didieni, Guihoyo, Kolokani, Massantola, Nonkon, Nossombougou, Ouolodo, Sagabala, ...

, Nara, Banamba and

Dioïla Banko ( Bambara: ߓߊߣߞߏ tr. Banko) is a rural commune and village in the Cercle of Dioïla in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. The village lies on the Banifing River The Banifing River is a river in western Africa. It flows thro ...

; however the most populous ''commune'' is

Kalabancoro Kalabancoro or Kalaban Koro is a rural commune and town in the ''cercle'' of Kati within the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. The commune has become part of the suburbs of Bamako, the Malian capital. It lies on the south side of the Nige ...

. 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 ...

and the natural reserves of Fina, Kongossambougou and Badinko shelter a diversity of wildlife.

History

The region of Koulikoro is the seat of several great empires which followed one another in Mali: the

Ghana Empire The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadou ( ar, غانا) or Awkar, was a West African empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali that existed from c. 300 until 1100. The Empire was founded by the Soninke people, ...

, the

Sosso Empire The Sosso Empire was a twelfth-century Kaniaga kingdom of West Africa. The Kingdom of Sosso, also written as Soso or Susu, was an ancient kingdom on the coast of west Africa. During its empire, reigned their most famous leader, Sumaoro Kan ...

and the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

Culture

The land of the Manding (or Mandé) is located in this area. It is the cradle of the Empire of Mali and known for preserving its traditional culture with its griots and its hunters. Like much of Mali, the area is strongly

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

ized, but the practices of animists remain very present in the villages. Bambara serves as the area's most common language. Koulikoro is famous for its traditional

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...

theater, showcased in many festivals such as in the village of Diarabougou. Several musicians are natives of the region, including Salif Keita and Rokia Traoré.

Transport and economy

Koulikoro is the terminus of the Dakar-Niger railway. It is also an important port on the Niger River which makes it possible to serve the towns of Ségou,

Mopti Mopti ( Bambara: ߡߏߕߌ tr. Moti) is a town and an urban commune in the Inner Niger Delta region of Mali. The town is the capital of the Mopti Cercle and the Mopti Region. Situated 630 km northeast of Bamako, the town lies at the conflue ...

, Tombouctou and

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 ...

. The area is served by the airport of Bamako-sénou. Agriculture remains the dominant economic activity, although several industries are present in the district, such as the Hydroelectric dam of Sélingué, gold-bearing industries around

Kangaba Kangaba is a town, commune, and seat of the Kangaba Cercle in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. Kangaba is believed to have been founded in 1050 by Mandingo tribesmen and was a vassal state of the Ghana Empire. Once known as Kaba, the ...

, and the cotton production site in Fana, Mali's second largest.

Administrative subdivisions

The Koulikoro Region is divided into seven ''cercles'' encompassing 106 ''communes'':. Mali's capital ( Bamako) is located in the heart of the region, but forms a separate administrative entity called the Bamako Capital District; it is entirely surrounded by Kati Cercle.

References

External links

*. {{authority control Regions of Mali