Mali, in long form the Republic of Mali, is a state in West Africa, bordering Mauritania to the west, Algeria to the north-northeast, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire to the south-southwest, Guinea to the southwest and Senegal to the west-southwest.
A former French colony of French Sudan, Mali became independent on September 22, 1960, after the break-up of the Mali federation of Senegal and the Sudanese Republic. Its motto is "One People – One Goal – One Faith" and its flag consists of three vertical stripes green, yellow and red.
With 20 million residents, the Malian population is made up of different ethnic groups, the main ones being the Bambaras, the Bobos, the Bozos, the Dogon, the Khassonkés, the Malinkés, the Miniankas, the Peuls, the Sénoufos, the Soninkés (or Sarakolés), the Sonrhaïs, the Tuaregs, the Toucouleurs.
French is the official language, but the majority of the population speaks national languages; Bambara being the most widely used and serving, alongside French, as a vehicular language.