Most of this area of nearly 200 thousand square kilometers is an arid plain, 300 to 500 meters high, with enough rain in the south for savannah (grass with scattered trees). A spine of low mountains, the Manding, extends southwest from Bamako into Guinea(1)'s highlands, and, near Sikasso, there are more low mountains that extend into Burkina Faso.
The Niger River enters Mali from the southwest (Guinea) and flows northeast across southern Koulikoro Region. Parallel to it, its eventual tributary, the Bani, originates in the northwest of Sikasso Region and flows through the southeast corner of Koulikoro Region, receiving several right bank tributaries on its way. A dam on a right bank tributary of the Niger creates the area's largest body of freshwater, the Sélingue Reservoir, in Sikasso Region, near the Guinea border.
The majority speak languages in the Mande group: Mandekan(2) accounts for nine in 20 and Soninke for less than one in ten. The Bambara(3) dialect(4) is widely used as a second language throughout this area and further east.
The second most important language is Fulfulde(5), representing about one in four speakers. The fourth is Senufo, spoken by three in 20.
The overwhelming majority is Moslem, but indiginous minority religions persist, particularly in southern Sikasso. The border line between these groups does not prevent mingling; both, for example, share the Grottes de (Caves of) Missirikoro.
Bamako is the only city with a million or more residents.
The Fulani spread from the Senegal River area eastward into this area centuries ago. The Soninke were enemies of the old Empire of Mali. In recent times many of them have migrated to France.
north
east of Koulikoro, and northeast of Sikasso Regions
east of Sikasso Region
south of Sikasso
southwest
west of Koulikoro Region
(1) Guinée in French.
(2) Also called Manding or Mandingo.
(3) Also called Bamananke, although that is an ethnonym, the equivalent word for the language being Bamana-koma.
(4) Some consider the Mandekan dialects sufficiently diverged to be separate languages. They are united through their mutual understanding of oral epics. The chief local dialect group is sometimes called Malinke, which includes Bambara.
(5) The group is usually called Fulani. The language has several names.