Mali: Flag and Facts
Mali's flag has three equal vertical bands of green, yellow, and red, with green on the side nearest the pole.
- Official name
- Republic of Mali
- Capital
- Bamako
- Region
- Western Africa
- Population
- 23 million (2025)
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- West African CFA franc
- Area
- 1,240,192 km² (478,841 sq mi)
- People
- Malian
- Calling code
- +223
- Highest point
- Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
- Independence
- 22 September 1960 (from France)
- National symbols
- Great Mosque of Djenne
- Borders
- Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal
About Mali
The three colors are shared with the Pan-African movement. Instead of an animal, Mali's national symbol is a building: the Great Mosque of Djenne.
The country takes its name from the Mali Empire, which ruled from the 13th to the 16th centuries. At its 14th-century peak it was the biggest and richest empire in West Africa, covering about twice the area of modern France, and its wealth came from gold and trade routes across the Sahel. The Songhai Empire, centered in Timbuktu, rose next, and Timbuktu became a hub of trade and learning. France took the area in the 1890s and called it French Sudan. In 1960 it joined Senegal in the Mali Federation, but Senegal pulled out within months, and the rest became the Republic of Mali. Sandy plains cover the north, with savanna in the south.
Did you know?
- Mali's median age is only 16.5 years.
- Hombori Tondo is the highest point in Mali at 1,155 m.
- Landlocked Mali touches seven countries, including Algeria, Senegal, and Niger.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Mali
What is the capital of Mali?
Bamako is the capital, with about 2.9 million people in 2023.
What language is spoken in Mali?
French is the official language of Mali.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.