Colors and the Meaning of the Mali Flag
The Mali flag consists of three equal vertical bands. The left strip is green, the middle yellow and the right strip is red. The green color is the symbol of hope, nature, and fertility. Yellow color represents purity and shows mineral richness. Red refers to the spilled blood for power and independence.
History of the Mali Flag
The flag was inspired by the vertical three-lane flag of France, where it was colonial for many years. It is made up of Pan-African colors, green, yellow and red, which can be seen on the flag of many African countries. In Mali, between 1959 and 1960, during the Mali Federation, which is formed with the former French colonial region of Senegal, they used a flag similar to today’s flag, with a black line man in the middle of the yellow strip.
Mali also used the flag of the union as a member of the African States Union, which was formed with Ghana and Guinea for a short period between 1961 and 1962. After the disintegration of this short-lived union, Mali again used its own flag.
The flag of Mali was adopted on 1 March 1961. Mali won independence from France on September 22, 1960. As the first flag of Mali, the flag of the Mali Federation was adopted on 4 April 1959. Senegal left the union in August 1960 and its flag was changed in 1961. The Senegal flag is similar to that of Mali. Apart from the use of Pan African colors, their flags are based on the French flag. The colors were the colors of the African Democratic Party, a political party led by the struggle for independence.
Liberation of Azawad
Azavad state, which is declared in the north of Mali but not accepted by any country, has been inspired by the flag of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, which is a struggle for independence. In addition to the Pan-African colors seen on this flag, the black color, which is also present in the Palestinian flag, is used to represent Palestine, which is thought to have fought for independence against the same enemy.
Neighboring Countries of Mali
Mali, a non-coastal country located in West Africa, is neighbor to Algeria in the north, Niger in the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire in the south, Guinea in the southwest and Senegal and Mauritania in the west.
Main Characteristics of Mali
Mali is an African country that includes historical sites with traces of ancient civilizations, where you can witness the desert landscape. The capital of the country is Bamako, which is located along the Niger River. It is also the largest city in the country. The official language is French. Bambar language is also spoken by local people. The West African CFA franc is used as currency.
There is a hot and dry climate. October and November are hot and humid, cold and dry to January, hot and dry through June. Between June and September is the period of precipitation. Mali cuisine is similar to Senegal cuisine. Meat and vegetables cooked in tomato sauce, couscous, grilled chicken in hot pepper sauce are mostly consumed meals. Fish dishes are also quite delicious.
| Country | Mali |
| Code | ML (MLI) |
| Calling Code | 223 |
| Capital City | Bamako |
| Currency | west african cfa franc (XOF) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇲🇱 |
| Highest Point | Hombori Tondo (1,155 m) |
| Internet TLD | .ml |
| Population(2018) | 19,107,706 |
| Total Area | 1,240,190 km2 |