Each country has many interesting features and details. There is a lot to be said about any of them. Especially if it is a distant and exotic region. For example, the African Republic of Mali. What is the first thing you should know about it?

Geographical position

Mali can be found on the map in the west of the African continent. The country's territory occupies almost one and a half million square kilometers, or more precisely, 1.24. Twenty-two thousand of them are occupied by water, and the rest are land. The size of the country can be better understood by knowing that it is comparable to South Africa or twice the size of Texas. The length of the border is seven thousand two hundred and forty-three kilometers. To the west of the country is Senegal, to the north are Algeria and Mauritania, to the east are Niger and Burkina Faso, to the south of Mali is the country of Cote d'Ivoire, formerly known as Guinea.

Capital and regions

Like any state, Mali has a complex system of administrative divisions. According to it, the territory is divided into eight regions. A separate unit is the capital of Mali - Bamako. The regions are divided into districts, of which there are two hundred and eighty-eight in the country. In addition to the administrative division, there is also a geographical one. The nature of Mali is divided into five major regions. These are deserts in the north of the state, a transition region - the Sahel, two types of savannas and the territory of the Niger Delta.

water pool

The largest river is the Niger, which flows from Guinea, crosses Mali and heads northeast. There are many branches, channels and lakes, as well as swamps in the riverbed. In the delta there are structures that allow the distribution of water for irrigation. Since the Republic of Mali is located in a fairly dry region, the presence of hydraulic engineering is of great importance for it. Some artificial irrigation canals follow the historical course of the Niger. In the west of the country there is also the Senegal River, which appears as a result of the confluence of Bakoy and Bafing. Its delta contains Mali's lowest point. The country is also distinguished by several elevations. In the southwest, the sandstone mountains frame the upper basin of the Niger and the Bani, which is a tributary.

Mountain ranges

In addition to the sandstone plateaus, there are other zones of uplift in the territory. The mountains between the cities of Gao and Mopti are especially pronounced. To the east of the latter there is a remnant massif called Hombori. The highest point is a mountain of one thousand one hundred and fifty-five meters. This is a record not only for the massif, but for the entire country. Another major elevation is the Adrar-Iforas plateau.

Vegetation

Despite the harsh, hot climate that characterizes Africa, Mali boasts a variety of flora. Most of the areas are covered with a variety of shrubs and grasses. In the Sahel there are acacias, doum palms, baobabs, nere, kapok trees, shea butter, ceiba, wild plums and other exotic varieties. In the south there are ronier palms, Senegalese kayas, terminalia, and various herbaceous plants.

Animal world

The fauna of Mali is impressive with its incredible diversity. In desert areas, large antelopes are most often found - oryxes, addaxes, as well as gazelles, cheetahs, giraffes and warthogs - African wild pigs, and various predators - jackals, lions and leopards. Antelopes are common. Unfortunately, the number of elephants is constantly decreasing. The rivers and lakes of Mali are of considerable importance. The country is engaged in fishing, the most valuable fish is also known as “captain”. Insects are widely represented - bees, mosquitoes, termites, midges. Many varieties are dangerous to the health of animals and people. A national park called Boucle-du-Baule is responsible for the protection of the state's flora and fauna.

Natural resources

All kinds of resources necessary for the active development of the state are well represented in Mali. The country boasts deposits of precious metals and stones - gold and diamonds are mined here. In addition, copper, bauxite, manganese, uranium, granite, lithium, and table salt can be found in the mines of Mali. There is also kaolin clay in the country.

Climatic conditions

The country is located in a tropical continental zone. To the south, where the capital of Mali is located, the climate is subequatorial. There alternate dry and rainy seasons. The first lasts from November to June, and the second from July to October. During the dry season, northeasterly winds prevail in the country, which lead to sandstorms. In the center of Mali, Bamako, there are impressive temperature fluctuations within one day - in the evenings, nights and early mornings it is cool here, and by noon the thermometer shows more than thirty degrees of heat. In the Sahara region there are harmattan winds, characterized by hurricane force. The temperature here reaches forty-five degrees Celsius. The southern territories have the maximum amount of precipitation - up to one and a half thousand millimeters falls here per year. There are regular droughts throughout the country. In the Sahara region, one hundred and fifty millimeters of precipitation falls per year, near the city of Timbuktu - two hundred and thirty.

Peoples of Mali

Almost one hundred percent of the country's population is represented by Negroids. Only in some northern territories are there representatives of the Mediterranean type of Caucasians - Arabs and Tuaregs. The ethnic diversity of Mali is impressive - the people of the state number in the dozens. Most of them belong to the Niger-Cordo-Fan language family, there are also representatives of the Western Atlantic, Afroasiatic and Voltaic. The most numerous people are the Bambara, speakers of the most widespread language. This ethnic group can be found in the central part of the country. Next is Malinke with representatives in the west. Like the people, they are mainly engaged in farming and raising livestock.

Both the Senufo and the Mande live by agriculture. On the banks of the Niger live the Songhai, engaged in nomadic cattle breeding. In the most rocky regions live the Dogon, who amazingly achieve success in agriculture in the most unfavorable areas. The Tuaregs deserve special mention. They are a nomadic people from the east. The Arabs are engaged in cattle breeding and trade in the area of ​​Lake Fagibin and in the Sahara. Despite the fact that this people is not the most widespread, it greatly influences the development of the state. Thus, the Muslim religion spread under their influence and became the choice of the majority.

An interesting ethnic group is the Fulani. Their appearance combines characteristics of the Negroid and Caucasian races. They have light brown skin. The Fulani live on the Atlantic coast and in the Sahel, as well as in the Niger Delta. The population that does not adhere to Muslim customs retains traditional beliefs. People worship plants, animals, stones, and also honor the spirits of ancestors. It is interesting that some peoples accept Islam, but retain certain pagan beliefs. The country is characterized by a high rate of population growth - over the last fifteen years, the number of residents has increased by more than two percent annually. Almost half of the citizens are under fifteen years of age, and those of retirement age are no more than six percent.

State symbols of Mali

The country gained independence not so long ago. The symbolism appeared in 1961, after the country ceased to be part of the French Community. The flag is used as a canvas in the shape of a quadrangle, the length of which relates to the width in the proportion of three to two. It is used on land for government, civil and military purposes. The flag is divided into three vertical stripes of equal size. There is a light green stripe at the shaft, a bright yellow stripe in the center, and a red stripe at the edge. The first is a symbol of hope, fields and pastures, agriculture, on which the economy is based. It is also a sign of constant innovation and modernization. Yellow indicates the mineral wealth that belongs to every resident of the country. Finally, red is a sign of the struggle for freedom and independence. Previously, the flag of the colony was a French cloth, complemented by a black figurine of a Kanaga. This is an image of a person that was invented by supporters of the idea of ​​​​the exclusivity of the Negroid race. The racist figure was removed from the symbolism in 1961. Unusually, the coat of arms does not contain the colors of the flag. It is a blue disk on which is drawn a white falcon with a bow and arrow, complemented by a crown.

The faculty where I studied is located in the same building as the preparatory courses for foreigners. By the end of university, many girls acquired foreign boyfriends and, after graduation, married them and went to distant countries. Literally a year later, our communication began to revive, this was due to the emergence of new common interests among us related to pregnancy, the birth of children, and their upbringing.

A good friend of mine married a student from Mali, and she gave birth to her first child there. Katya told how in this country they monitor pregnant women, give birth, and how they approach raising children.

Motherhood in Mali. Photo from 24smi.org

Pregnancy in Mali

Katya and her husband began to build a family life in the capital of Mali, the city of Bamako. I realized that I was pregnant in the second month. In Mali there are antenatal clinics similar to those in Russia, but since Katya was not a citizen of this country, she decided to visit a paid clinic.

One doctor's appointment costs 30 euros. At the first appointment, they refused to register Katya, they confirmed her pregnancy and told her to come back at 12 weeks. At the second appointment, the doctor examined me again, did an ultrasound, and prescribed many tests: AIDS, blood type, Rh factor, general blood test.

Of course, as soon as Katya found out about her pregnancy, she began to study websites and forums on childhood and motherhood, and already knew that throughout her pregnancy she would need to have her urine tested almost every two weeks. The local consultation was very surprised when the Russian patient began to demand such a referral. It turned out that there is no need to go through narrow specialists who are not related to childbirth.

Living in Russia, Katya was registered with an endocrinologist and had been taking therapy for a long time, without which her body could not function normally. In Mali they ignored this information and said that if she had a desire, she could adhere to the prescription.

You must attend a consultation throughout your pregnancy, first once a month, after the 30th week once every two weeks, and after the 37th every week. At each appointment they do an ultrasound to see how the baby is developing.

At 16 weeks, a blood test is done to show whether the baby has any deformities. Everyone does this analysis, but they treat it as useless. It is not customary in the country to terminate a pregnancy if something is wrong with the child; it is believed that he should live as long as he is destined to live. An abortion or artificial birth can be performed only if there is a huge threat to the life of the mother.

Pregnancy maintenance is very rare; assistance is provided only as part of a day hospital. African women are considered to be hardy and in good health; they rarely seek medical help. You can come to the consultation with your husband or mother, but the locals don’t do that, they go on their own. Katya went with her husband because of the language barrier.

Childbirth in Mali

There is no concept of prenatal hospitalization in Mali. A woman goes to a consultation until the 40th week, if childbirth does not happen, then they wait another three days, and then they give a referral to the maternity hospital. In the maternity hospital, the bladder is punctured and stimulants are injected to begin labor.

State maternity hospitals are in very poor condition, so Katya gave birth in a private maternity hospital. The contractions started at home at night, Katya and her husband got ready and went to the maternity hospital. You need to get to the maternity hospital on your own; there is no ambulance service in Mali. It turned out that doctors work until 18.00, and if you need a doctor later, you need to go for him yourself. Here Katya was lucky: she was given contacts of a female doctor who had lived half her life in Poland and could speak broken Russian.

The procedure for preparing for childbirth is no different from the Russian one. There were three women in the prenatal room, except Katya. During strong contractions, Katya began to scream, which the local women really did not like. They made comments to her, but they themselves made practically no sounds the entire time.

When more than eight hours had passed since the onset of labor, and the cervix had not begun to dilate, it became clear that a cesarean section had to be performed. But it was early morning, the anesthesiologist was not there yet, and we had to go home to get him. When they finally brought him, Katya asked to be given general anesthesia, because she had no strength left.

When I recovered from the anesthesia, they immediately brought my daughter. According to local custom, all relatives and friends must congratulate the mother on the birth of her child. Another feature of Malian maternity hospitals is that they do not provide food. It is believed that childbirth is a very ordinary procedure, and if the birth was easy, then the mother and child are discharged after 2-3 hours, and if it is difficult, there are tears, they can stay in the clinic for a couple more hours, but usually women in labor try to leave as quickly as possible . Katya had to stay in the hospital for three days due to a caesarean section. During this time, she was never fed, the floor in the room was wiped only once, and there were six roommates.

Mali. Family sleeping in a tent on a hot summer day. Photo from the site

Mothers and doctors do not rush around with children; the wards, by Russian standards, are completely unsanitary. Infant mortality is very high - the average Malian woman gives birth to 8 children in her life, only four survive until the age of 7. In the first hours, the child is given a vaccination, an analogue of our BCG.

Check-out occurs as usual, without flowers, balloons and photographers. An unpleasant thing happened at the checkout: the bill they were given was three times more than what they had initially said (translated into rubles it turned out to be about 30,000 rubles). Katya said that her husband refused to pay that amount and began to bargain, and, no matter how strange it may sound, they were able to recoup 30% of the amount.

At home with a newborn

In Russia, on the second day after discharge, a local doctor comes home, then a visiting nurse visits for several more weeks. This is not the case in Mali. If you have questions, or your child is sick, you need to go with your child to the hospital. A woman is obliged to breastfeed; if there is no milk, it is considered a shame. If you have problems with breastfeeding, then all your relatives will definitely come and start teaching you how to properly latch on to your baby and how much fluid to drink. By the way, they don’t have any diet for nursing mothers; a woman can eat anything. If the mother still does not produce milk, then among her relatives there will definitely be a nurse who will feed the baby.

Mali is a poor country and the social conditions are very different from ours. Many pregnant women work until they give birth. There are no maternity or other payments for the child. When the child is two months old, the mother can go to work, but, as a rule, she does not do this until the baby is one year old.

Katya gave birth to her second child in Russia, now she and her husband live “in two countries.” Katya is confident that if she still has to give birth, she will definitely come to Russia for the birth.

1. Independent parts of speech:

• nouns (see morphological norms of nouns);
• Verbs:
• • participles;
  • participles;
• adjectives;
• numerals;
• pronouns;
• adverbs;

2. Functional parts of speech:

• prepositions;
• unions;
• particles;

3. Interjections.

The following do not fall into any of the classifications (according to the morphological system) of the Russian language:

• the words yes and no, if they act as an independent sentence.
• introductory words: so, by the way, total, as a separate sentence, as well as a number of other words.

Morphological analysis of a noun

• initial form in the nominative case, singular (with the exception of nouns used only in the plural: scissors, etc.);
• proper or common noun;
• animate or inanimate;
• gender (m,f, avg.);
• number (singular, plural);
• declination;
• case;
• syntactic role in a sentence.

Plan for morphological analysis of a noun

"The baby drinks milk."

Baby (answers the question who?) – noun;

• initial form - baby;
• constant morphological features: animate, common noun, concrete, masculine, 1st declension;
• inconsistent morphological features: nominative case, singular;
• when parsing a sentence, it plays the role of subject.

Morphological analysis of the word “milk” (answers the question of whom? What?).

• initial form – milk;
• constant morphological characteristics of the word: neuter, inanimate, real, common noun, II declension;
• variable morphological features: accusative case, singular;
• direct object in the sentence.

Here is another example of how to make a morphological analysis of a noun, based on a literary source:

"Two ladies ran up to Luzhin and helped him get up. He began to knock the dust off his coat with his palm. (example from: “Luzhin’s Defense”, Vladimir Nabokov)."

Ladies (who?) - noun;

• initial form - queen;
• constant morphological features: common noun, animate, concrete, feminine, first declension;
• fickle morphological characteristics of the noun: singular, genitive case;
• syntactic role: part of the subject.

Luzhin (to whom?) - noun;

• initial form - Luzhin;
• faithful morphological characteristics of the word: proper name, animate, concrete, masculine, mixed declension;
• inconsistent morphological features of the noun: singular, dative case;

Palm (with what?) - noun;

• initial shape - palm;
• constant morphological features: feminine, inanimate, common noun, concrete, I declension;
• inconsistent morpho. signs: singular, instrumental case;
• syntactic role in context: addition.

Dust (what?) - noun;

• initial form - dust;
• main morphological features: common noun, material, feminine, singular, animate not characterized, III declension (noun with zero ending);
• fickle morphological characteristics of the word: accusative case;
• syntactic role: addition.

(c) Coat (Why?) - noun;

• the initial form is a coat;
• constant correct morphological characteristics of the word: inanimate, common noun, specific, neuter, indeclinable;
• morphological features are inconsistent: the number cannot be determined from the context, genitive case;
• syntactic role as a member of a sentence: addition.

Morphological analysis of the adjective

An adjective is a significant part of speech. Answers the questions Which? Which? Which? Which? and characterizes the characteristics or qualities of an object. Table of morphological features of the adjective name:

• initial form in the nominative case, singular, masculine;
• constant morphological features of adjectives:
• • rank according to the value:
  • • - quality (warm, silent);
    • - relative (yesterday, reading);
    • - possessive (hare, mother);
  • degree of comparison (for quality ones, for which this feature is constant);
  • full/short form (for quality ones, for which this sign is constant);
• inconsistent morphological features of the adjective:
• • qualitative adjectives vary according to the degree of comparison (in comparative degrees the simple form, in superlative degrees - complex): beautiful - more beautiful - the most beautiful;
  • full or short form (qualitative adjectives only);
  • gender marker (singular only);
  • number (agrees with the noun);
  • case (agrees with the noun);
• syntactic role in a sentence: an adjective can be a definition or part of a compound nominal predicate.

Plan for morphological analysis of the adjective

Example sentence:

The full moon rose over the city.

Full (what?) – adjective;

• initial form – full;
• constant morphological features of the adjective: qualitative, full form;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics: in a positive (zero) degree of comparison, feminine (consistent with the noun), nominative case;
• according to syntactic analysis - a minor member of the sentence, serves as a definition.

Here is another whole literary passage and morphological analysis of the adjective, using examples:

The girl was beautiful: slender, thin, blue eyes, like two amazing sapphires, looking into your soul.

Beautiful (what?) - adjective;

• initial form - beautiful (in this meaning);
• constant morphological norms: qualitative, brief;
• inconstant signs: positive degree of comparison, singular, feminine;

Slender (what?) - adjective;

• initial form - slender;
• constant morphological characteristics: qualitative, complete;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the word: full, positive degree of comparison, singular, feminine, nominative case;
• syntactic role in a sentence: part of the predicate.

Thin (what?) - adjective;

• initial form - thin;
• morphological constant characteristics: qualitative, complete;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the adjective: positive degree of comparison, singular, feminine, nominative case;
• syntactic role: part of the predicate.

Blue (what?) - adjective;

• initial form - blue;
• table of constant morphological features of the adjective name: qualitative;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics: full, positive degree of comparison, plural, nominative case;
• syntactic role: definition.

Amazing (what?) - adjective;

• initial form - amazing;
• constant characteristics of morphology: relative, expressive;
• inconsistent morphological features: plural, genitive case;
• syntactic role in a sentence: part of the circumstance.

Morphological features of the verb

According to the morphology of the Russian language, a verb is an independent part of speech. It can denote an action (to walk), a property (to limp), an attitude (to be equal), a state (to rejoice), a sign (to turn white, to show off) of an object. Verbs answer the question what to do? what to do? what is he doing? what did you do? or what will it do? Different groups of verbal word forms have heterogeneous morphological characteristics and grammatical features.

Morphological forms of verbs:

• the initial form of the verb is the infinitive. It is also called the indefinite or unchangeable form of the verb. There are no variable morphological features;
• conjugated (personal and impersonal) forms;
• inconjugated forms: participles and participles.

Morphological analysis of the verb

• initial form - infinitive;
• constant morphological features of the verb:
• • transitivity:
  • • transitive (used with accusative case nouns without a preposition);
    • intransitive (not used with a noun in the accusative case without a preposition);
  • repayment:
  • • returnable (there is -sya, -sya);
    • irrevocable (no -sya, -sya);
  • • imperfect (what to do?);
    • perfect (what to do?);
  • conjugation:
  • • I conjugation (do-eat, do-e, do-eat, do-e, do-ut/ut);
    • II conjugation (sto-ish, sto-it, sto-im, sto-ite, sto-yat/at);
    • mixed verbs (want, run);
• inconsistent morphological features of the verb:
• • mood:
  • • indicative: what did you do? What did you do? what is he doing? what will he do?;
    • conditional: what would you do? what would you do?;
    • imperative: do!;
  • time (in the indicative mood: past/present/future);
  • person (in the present/future tense, indicative and imperative: 1st person: I/we, 2nd person: you/you, 3rd person: he/they);
  • gender (past tense, singular, indicative and conditional);
  • number;
• syntactic role in a sentence. The infinitive can be any part of the sentence:
• • predicate: To be a holiday today;
  • subject: Learning is always useful;
  • addition: All the guests asked her to dance;
  • definition: He had an irresistible desire to eat;
  • circumstance: I went out for a walk.

Morphological analysis of verb example

To understand the scheme, let’s conduct a written analysis of the morphology of the verb using an example sentence:

God somehow sent a piece of cheese to the crow... (fable, I. Krylov)

Sent (what did you do?) - part of speech verb;

• initial form - send;
• constant morphological features: perfective aspect, transitional, 1st conjugation;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the verb: indicative mood, past tense, masculine, singular;

The following online example of morphological analysis of a verb in a sentence:

What silence, listen.

Listen (what do you do?) - verb;

• initial form - listen;
• morphological constant features: perfective aspect, intransitive, reflexive, 1st conjugation;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the word: imperative mood, plural, 2nd person;
• syntactic role in a sentence: predicate.

Plan for morphological analysis of verbs online for free, based on an example from a whole paragraph:

He needs to be warned.

No need, let him know next time how to break the rules.

What are the rules?

Wait, I'll tell you later. Has entered! (“Golden Calf”, I. Ilf)

Caution (what to do?) - verb;

• initial form - warn;
• morphological features of the verb are constant: perfective, transitive, irrevocative, 1st conjugation;
• inconsistent morphology of part of speech: infinitive;
• syntactic function in a sentence: part of the predicate.

Let him know (what is he doing?) - verb part of speech;

• initial form - know;
• inconsistent verb morphology: imperative, singular, 3rd person;
• syntactic role in a sentence: predicate.

Violate (what to do?) - the word is a verb;

• initial form - violate;
• constant morphological features: imperfect form, irrevocable, transitional, 1st conjugation;
• inconstant features of the verb: infinitive (initial form);
• syntactic role in context: part of the predicate.

Wait (what will you do?) - part of speech verb;

• initial form - wait;
• constant morphological features: perfective aspect, irrevocable, transitional, 1st conjugation;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the verb: imperative mood, plural, 2nd person;
• syntactic role in a sentence: predicate.

Entered (what did you do?) - verb;

• initial form - enter;
• constant morphological features: perfective aspect, irreversible, intransitive, 1st conjugation;
• inconsistent morphological characteristics of the verb: past tense, indicative mood, singular, masculine;
• syntactic role in a sentence: predicate.

Mali (Republic of Mali) is a country in West Africa. The neighbors of this country are the Republic of Ivory Coast (in the south), Mauritania (in the north), Senegal (in the west), Nigeria (in the east). The country's government system is a multi-party republic. The main cities of this state are Gao, Mopti, Segou and Sikasso. French is the official language.

The population of Mali includes a large number of African peoples, so we can talk about the diversity of the population of Mali. The African peoples living in the territory of the Republic of Mali include the Malinke, Tuareg, Senufo, Soninka, Fulani, etc. The majority of the population of the Republic of Mali are Muslims (94%). 4% are Christians and 2% are pagans. The currency in the Republic of Mali is the African franc.

Mali is an independent state. It became such only in 1960. It was then that the Republic of Mali appeared on the map of Africa. The same year - 1960 - began to be called the “year of Africa”. It was then that seventeen colonies, as a result of persistent struggle, became independent states. Among these seventeen colonies was French Sudan. This state became a sovereign country - the Republic of Mali. The name was given in honor of the great empire of Mali. This strong empire existed in this territory from the eighth to the fifteenth centuries.

Mali is an agricultural state. Agriculture, camel and cattle breeding, as well as fishing are the main activities of the population of the republic. The following minerals are mined in Mali: phosphorites, diamonds, gold, etc. The state exports minerals. It also supplies peanuts, cottonwood and live cattle abroad.

Tourism is well developed in Mali. And this is not surprising. After all, the African culture represented here has an ancient history. The traditions of this country are unusual. Ancient cities and cultural centers are beautiful. Statistics show that every year approximately one hundred thousand tourists come to rest in the Republic of Mali.

The climate in Mali is tropical. This is exactly how he is for most of the state. Only in southern Mali does the climate become subequatorial. The rainy season in Mali lasts from July to October. That is why, if a tourist has chosen to visit this country, he should carefully consider the timing of his trip. The remaining months - from November to June - hot and dry weather prevails in the republic. Moreover, the air temperature can reach +45 degrees Celsius. The “harmattan” wind often blows - dry and strong. Often it can be correlated with a hurricane. The most favorable months for tourists are from November to February. The average daily temperature during these months is +35 degrees Celsius. In the evening the weather is not so hot.

A visa is a necessary condition for entering the country. This applies to all persons entering the republic except French citizens. If a person is only passing through Mali, then he must obtain a transit visa. If a person goes to the Republic of Mali on vacation, then he must open a visitor visa. Typically its duration is 30 calendar days. For a fee, if necessary, the guest visa can be extended for a period of one month to a year.

The city of Niono is the "Venice of Mali". The city received this name due to a large system of ducts and canals. Their network crosses the entire city of Niono.

Mali is a poor country. The Republic of Mali is indeed ranked among the poorest countries in the world. This can be judged based on the following data: less than 50% of school-age children are able to attend primary school in this state, and even less - 10% - can attend secondary school. The number of students is also small - it is only six thousand people. The urban population is only 20%, and there is one doctor for every twenty thousand people.

Mali is home to some interesting attractions on the African continent. The Republic is home to the legendary Timbuktu. In central Mali, a tourist can admire the view of the stunning Bandiagara rock massif. The tourist will be surprised to learn how many ancient cities of Mali are currently buried in the desert. This state is fraught with a lot of interesting things for an inquisitive person.

Mali is the homeland of the Dogon. Their lands are located in the area of ​​the city of Duenza. It is believed that the Dogon were the very first inhabitants of the Niger river valley. Dogon artistic works are valued by collectors from different parts of the world. The homeland of the Dogon - the Dogon Plateau - is on the UNESCO list. The reason for Plata's inclusion as a World Heritage Site is the unique living conditions - many of the ancient Dogon villages located in the cliffs are still inhabited. Their beliefs include ancient worldview ideas.

Sigu is a well-known Dogon ceremony. It is celebrated once every sixty years. Most likely, this ceremony has a connection with the Dogon agricultural calendar. An interesting fact is that this calendar is based on the orbital cycles of one of the stars. Amazingly, we are talking about a white dwarf star from the Sirius system, which was discovered only in the second half of the twentieth century. How did it happen that the Dogon knew about it for more than a millennium? After all, they could not use the most powerful telescopes with which the star was discovered in 1960.

Timbuktu is a legendary city. About six centuries ago this city was very powerful. It was located at the intersection of important trade routes. This circumstance brought untold wealth to the city of Timbuktu. Now the city is fraught with a peculiar imprint of past times. There are three mosques here, which, as expected, were built back in the fourteenth century. Therefore, the mosques are considered to be the oldest in the world.

The city of Djenné is a clay monument of Mali. This city reached its heyday at about the same time as Timbuktu, and also had an advantageous position at the intersection of trade routes. Nowadays, this city houses a famous clay structure. It is considered one of the largest on the planet. This is an architectural monument - the Great Mosque of Djenné. Perhaps this mosque is not only the main attraction of the city, but also the main attraction of the entire state. In the form in which the mosque stands today, it has existed only since 1907. The first mosque appeared on this site back in the thirteenth century. But in the nineteenth century it was destroyed. Only Muslims have the right to enter the Djenné Mosque.

Baule National Park is the only place in Mali where greenery has been preserved. In fact, this is true - there are not many green spaces in Mali. Baule National Park is located 130 kilometers north-west of Bamako. The few representatives of lions, giraffes and hippos that can be seen in this park look even a little unnatural among the sun-scorched plains. By the way, in Bamako there is an ethnographic museum, which is one of the best in West Africa. This ethnographic museum is called the Local National Museum.