Communes of MaliA commune is the third-level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into ten regions and one capital district (Bamako). These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city. The regions are divided into 56 cercles. The cercles and the district are divided into 703 communes, with 36 urban communes and 667 rural communes, while some larger cercles still contain arrondissements above the commune level, these are organisational areas with no independent power or office.
Circle (administrative division)Circle is a type of administrative division of some countries. In Thailand the former monthon are translated as circle. The former Holy Roman Empire was organized into Imperial Circles (German: Reichskreise). Algerian daïras are circles. See alsoCercles of MaliCercle (French colonial)Kreis, Districts of PrussiaKreis, Districts of GermanyElectoral Circle (German: Kurkreis)Used by ten or more countries or having derived terms. Historical derivations in italics.
Regions of MaliSince 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) and Ménaka (formerly Ménaka Cercle in Gao Region) have begun to be implemented. Each of the regions bears the name of its capital. The regions are divided into 56 cercles.
BafoulabéBafoulabé is a town and rural commune in south-western Mali. It is located in the Region of Kayes at the confluence of the Bafing and Bakoy rivers which join to become the Sénégal River. Bafoulabé is the capital of the Cercle of Bafoulabé, which in 1887 was the first Cercle to be created in Mali.
BamakoBamako is the capital and largest city of Mali with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country, and the city is surrounded on all sides by the Koulikoro Region. Bamako is the nation's administrative centre.
MaliCountry in West AfricaFlag EmblemMotto: "Un peuple, un but, une foi" (French)"Mɔgɔ kelen, laɲini kelen, dannaya kelen" (Bambara)"One people, one goal, one faith"Anthem: "Le Mali" (French)Show globeShow map of AfricaCapitaland largest cityBamako12°39′N8°0′W / 12.650°N 8.000°W / 12.650; -8.000Official languages13 national languagesBambaraBoboHassaniya ArabicBozoDogon, Toro SoFulaKassonkeManinkeMinyankaSenufo, SenaraSonghay, Koyraboro SenniSoninkeTamasheqSpoken languagesBambaraFulaArabicSoninkeSonghayMandinkaMinyankaTamasheqSenufoBoboBozoKassonkeSamogoDafingDogonWorking languageFrench (de facto)Ethnic groups (2022 Census)35.9% Bambara12.8% Fula9.4% Senufo8.4% Malinke8.2% Soninke6.1% Dogon4.8% Songhai3.9% Tuareg2.2% Bobo / Bwa10.5% otherReligion (2022 Census)96.4% Islam2.3% Christianity0.7% traditional faiths0.5% no religion0.1% other religionsDemonymMalianGovernmentUnitary presidential republic under a military junta• PresidentAssimi Goïta• Prime MinisterAbdoulaye Maïga (interim)LegislatureNational Transitional CouncilFormation• Establishment of the Sudanese Republic24 November 1958• Merger with Senegal to create the Mali Federation4 April 1959• Independence from France 20 June 1960• Dissolution of the Mali Federation 20 August 1960• Declaration of the Republic of Mali 22 September 1960Area • Total1,240,192 km (478,841 sq mi) (23rd)• Water (%)1.6Population• 2025 estimate 25,200,000 (61st)• 2022 census22,395,489• Density18/km (46.6/sq mi) (215th)GDP (PPP)2025 estimate• Total $72.74 billion (115th)• Per capita $2,930 (173rd)GDP (nominal)2025 estimate• Total $23.21 billion (121st)• Per capita $936 (175th)Gini (2021) 35.7medium inequalityHDI (2023) 0.419low (188th)CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)Time zoneUTC±00:00 (GMT)Calling code+223ISO 3166 codeMLInternet TLD.mlMali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa.
French languageFrench (français or langue française) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, French and its closest relatives—the langues d'oïl, historically spoken in northern France and southern Belgium—descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. It was influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul and by the GermanicFrankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders.
KidalKidal (Tuareg Berber: ⴾⴸⵍ, KDL, Kidal) is a town and commune in the desert region of northern Mali. The town lies 285 km (177 mi) northeast of Gao and is the capital of the Kidal Cercle and the Kidal Region. The commune has an area of about 9,910 km (3,830 sq mi) and includes the town of Kidal and 31 other settlements. HistoryThe Kidal region has been inhabited by the Tuareg for centuries.
French West AfricaFrench West Africa (French: Afrique-Occidentale française, AOF) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger. The federation existed from 1895 until 1958. Its capital was Saint-Louis in Senegal until 1902, and then Dakar until the federation's collapse in 1960.Arrondissements of MaliThe cercles of Mali are divided into arrondissements. These are further divided into 703 communes, 19 urban and 684 rural. Unlike communes or cercles, arrondissements have no administrative power or elected officials: they are merely territorial divisions or used to divide administrative duties. Often the borders of communes and arrondissements coincide, rendering the arrondissement demarcation of the territory superfluous.
PrefectureA prefecture (from the Latin word praefectura) is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international church structures. During the antiquity, it was the name of a type of Roman district. In the 21st century, the term prefecture is used for the modern first-level subdivisions of the Central African Republic, Japan, and Morocco.
FranceCountry primarily in Western EuropeFrance, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.
Department (administrative division)A department (French: département, Spanish: departamento) is an administrative or political division in several countries. Departments are the first-level divisions of 11 countries, nine in the Americas and two in Africa. An additional 10 countries use departments as second-level divisions, eight in Africa, and one each in the Americas and Europe.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.