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Introducing Mali
Mali is the jewel in West Africa’s crown, a destination that has all the right ingredients. The country occupies the heart of a territory that once supported Africa’s greatest empires and is rich with historical resonance. This history bequeathed to Mali some of its most dramatic attractions – the legendary city of Timbuktu (Tombouctou), whose name has never lost its allure for travellers, the gloriously improbable mosque at Djenné and the bustling river port of Mopti are simply three among many.
Mali’s history has always been a story of its deserts and rivers. The lucrative trade routes of the Sahara once made the region among the world’s richest, and the Niger, one of the grand old rivers of Africa, is still the lifeblood of the country; to journey along the Niger River route (preferably on a slow boat to Timbuktu) is one of the continent’s great adventures. Not far from the riverbank, the extraordinary Falaise de Bandiagara rises up from the plains, and shelters one of West Africa’s most intriguing peoples – the Dogon, whose villages and complex cultural rituals still cling to the edge of rocky cliffs. If you can visit one place in Mali, go to the Dogon Country: it’s utterly unforgettable.
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Latest headlines for Mali
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Mali army 'takes al-Qaeda base'
17 June 2009 2:54PM
At least 12 al-Qaeda militants and five soldiers are killed in Mali after a militant base is captured in the Sahara Desert.
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In pictures: Mali tie-dye
4 June 2009 11:27PM
Images of tie-dyeing at a family-run workshop - which takes orders from across the world - in the West African nation of Mali.
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Algerian named in Briton killing
4 June 2009 11:53AM
An alleged Algerian militant is a suspect in the killing of a British citizen in north-west Africa, officials in Mali tell the BBC.
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