Regions and Cercles
Mali is divided into eight regions (régions) and one district. Each region has a governor. Since Mali's regions are very large, the country is subdivided into 49 cercles and 703 communes.
The régions and Capital District are:
| Region name | Area (km2) | Population Census 1998 |
Population Census 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kayes | 119,743 | 1,374,316 | 1,996,812 |
| Koulikoro | 95,848 | 1,570,507 | 2,418,305 |
| Bamako Capital District |
252 | 1,016,296 | 1,809,106 |
| Sikasso | 70,280 | 1,782,157 | 2,625,919 |
| Ségou | 64,821 | 1,675,357 | 2,336,255 |
| Mopti | 79,017 | 1,484,601 | 2,037,330 |
| Tombouctou (Timbuktu) |
496,611 | 442,619 | 681,691 |
| Gao | 170,572 | 341,542 | 544,120 |
| Kidal | 151,430 | 38,774 | 67,638 |
Since March 2012, the Malian government has not exercised control over Tombouctou, Gao and Kidal Regions and the north-eastern portion of Mopti Region. On 6 April 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declared their secession from Mali as Azawad, an act that neither Mali nor the international community have recognised.
Read more about this topic: Mali
Famous quotes containing the word regions:
“We have wasted our spirit in the regions of the abstract and general just as the monks let it wither in the world of prayer and contemplation.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)