Mali is a country in Western Africa that is one of the poorest in the world.  It is considered as the biggest country in this part of Africa but not the most famous for tourists. Its rich history makes Mali a great destination for travel and leisure.  The following are 10 facts that make this country interesting and great:

Fact 1:  Mali used to have lots of gold.  In ancient times, Malians were given lots of gold by their emperor and ruler Mansa Musa. With so much gold in Mali land, the price of this luxury commodity dropped and internal inflation rose.  Many people in Mali in ancient times were actually rich and very unlike the people in this country today.

Fact 2:  Mali Emperor had an extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca during his time.  The said ancient emperor brought with him 12000 slaves and 60,000 camels while journeying from Mali to Mecca.  Along the way, the emperor was also known to give out gold to people and build mosques every Friday.

Fact 3:  Mali is also known for the Prime Meridian marker in Gao.  This marker basically separates the western and eastern hemispheres of the Earth in half.  Tourists can take their picture at this marker in Gao and be at the literal center of the Earth or be at two different hemispheres at the same time.

Fact 4:  Bamako, Mali’s capital city is the 6th fastest growing city in the whole world.  The whole country of Mali may be very poor but its capital city is growing in terms of industries and economy.

Fact 5:  Only half of the people in Mali can read.  Being a very poor country, half of the Malians do not have access to formal education.  People are basically so poor that education takes a back seat from basic necessities like food and shelter for example.

Fact 6:  French is the official language in Mali.  Not all people may know French but it is considered the official language used in government and businesses.  The literate Malians may speak French but most Malians speak a national language called Bambara with many also speaking about 40 other local dialects.

Fact 7:  Mali boasts of the biggest and largest mud-brick building in the world.  The Great Mosque of Djenne is fully made of mud-bricks and is one of Mali’s famous treasures especially for tourism because it is the world’s biggest.

Fact 8:  Malians celebrate a child’s circumcision.  A boy’s coming of age in the form of circumcision is a celebrated day in Mali.  This is especially true in big cities like the capital in Bamako.

Fact 9:  It is common for Malian men to have 2 wives or even more.  As allowed by Malian laws, many men in Mali marry more than 2 women and consequently have more than 1 family of their own.  Based on their religious customs and culture, as long as the men are able to support having more than one wife, he may do so legally.

 Fact 10:  It is only in Mali that a cloth dyed with mud is created.  Referred to as bogolanfini cloth, the process is done by hand and the color is produced with the help of mud.  It is only in this part of Africa that this mud-dyed cloth is made.