The land of Mali was once home to some of the great African Empires. Ghana Empire was the first to emerge around 700 AD. It ruled the area until 1075 and became an important trading state. In the 11th century the Malinke Kingdom rose to power. It reached its height in 1325 when it conquered Timbuktu and Gao. In 1465 the Songhai Empire took control. It reached its peak under a ruler named Askia Mohammad I and its main city, Timbuktu, became a center of commerce and Islam. The Songhai Empire was destroyed by the Moroccans in 1591.
The French colonized the area in the late 1800s. They controlled the area until 1960 when the Sudanese Republic and Senegal formed the Mali Federation and became independent of France. Senegal withdrew from the federation after a few months and the Republic of Mali became its own independent country.
The Geography of Mali
Total Size: 1,240,000 square km
Size Comparison: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
