Wildlife of Mali - Geography

Geography

The Niger River valley, which dominates the topography of Mali, drained by the Niger River and its tributaries. Along its course, the central southern region is the narrowest and is known as the Inner Delta or the Inundation Zone of the Niger, formed of 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi) of flood-plains, along a river length of 570 kilometres (350 mi)); these form its wetlands of great ornithological interest.

Habitat wise, the Saharan zone occupies a third of the country, and is made up of Sahara Desert and the Sahel (which is a zone of transition between the two). There is hardly any vegetation as the habitat comprises "unvegetated regs, hamadas, dunes and wadis" and also a few oases. On the south-eastern part of this zone is the Adrar des Iforhas Massif rising to a height of 900 metres (3,000 ft), which is part of the Ahaggar Massif in southern Algeria. Average precipitation in the zone is reported to be less than 200 millimetres (7.9 in).

The Sahelian zone, widest in an east-west direction, has the Dogon plateau (777 metres (2,549 ft)) elevation) and the Hombori mountains (1,155 metres (3,789 ft), highest location in Mali) with the Inundation Zone of the Niger River located to its west. Average annual rainfall varies from about 600 millimetres (24 in) in the south to under 200 millimetres (7.9 in) in the north; the vegetation also changes accordingly from Acacia-wooded grassland and deciduous bushland to thin coverage of annual grasslands (of Cenchrus biflorus).

The Sudan–Guinea zone is part of south-western region of Mali. The Senegal River and the Bafing and Baoulé Rivers rise here, and basin is known for the lowest-lying land in the country of 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) area which is below the 100 metres (330 ft) contour. The zone also includes the Manding plateau (near Bamakom, the capital of Mali) which is part of Fouta Djallon Mountains (700 metres (2,300 ft) elevation) of Guinea; this forms the upper region of the catchment area that lies between the Senegal and Niger River systems. Geological formation reported is of sandstone. Vegetation in this zone is mainly of Isoberlinia sp.