Bamako, << `bah mah` KOH >> (pop. 1,810,366), is the capital of Mali. It lies in the southwestern part of the country, along the Niger River and at the foot of the Manding Plateau.
Bamako serves as an administrative and commercial center. Mali’s government headquarters lie about 2 miles (3 kilometers) north of the city. Bamako’s educational institutions include the University of Bamako, an engineering school, and a medical school. The city’s factories process food and produce leather, textiles, and plastic products. Bamako has an international airport, and a railroad connects the city with the city of Dakar, Senegal, on the west coast of Africa.
France gained control of what is now Mali in the late 1800’s. At that time, Bamako was a small village with walls around it. In 1908, Bamako became the capital of the French colony of French Sudan. In 1960, Mali became an independent nation, with Bamako as its capital.
