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Bamako

Capital of MaliThe Niger River flows through Bamako in southwestern Mali, near rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys. The city began on the north bank and later spread to the south bank, with bridges joining the two sides.

Why it's the capital

The French built a fort here in 1883 because of its key position on the Niger. A railway to Kayes arrived in 1904, the town became the capital of French Sudan in 1908, and it stayed the capital when Mali became independent in 1960.

Fun facts

  1. In the Bambara language, the name Bamako means "crocodile river".
  2. The Presidential Palace stands on an escarpment just north of the city, which is what remains of an extinct volcano.
  3. The Scottish explorer Mungo Park visited Bamako in 1806 while exploring the Niger River.

Finding it on the globe

Trace the Niger River upstream from its sharp bend at Timbuktu, back toward Guinea where the river begins. Bamako sits on the river in Mali's southwest, not far from where it flows in from Guinea.

Sources: Wikipedia: Bamako, Wikipedia: Niger River