Elsewhere during the Middle Ages, Islamic science and mathematics flourished under the Islamic caliphate established across the Middle East, extending from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Indus in the east and to the Almoravid Dynasty and Mali Empire in the south.

During the 16th century, they established themselves at Macina in southern Mali.

Foreign funding, and some commercial funding ( mostly in the capital ) have helped to established 160 FM stations in Mali, though many of those are small community " suitcase radio stations ".

The Bamako-Dakar line, which has been described as dilapidated, is owned by a joint company established by Mali and Senegal in 1995, with the eventual goal of privatization.

The Muslim Kong Empire was established by the Juula in the early eighteenth century in the north-central region inhabited by the Sénoufo, who had fled Islamization under the Mali Empire.

Gradually, French control was established over much of Northern, Western, and Central Africa by the turn of the century ( including the modern nations of Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo ), and the east African coastal enclave of Djibouti ( French Somaliland ).

While the term " Jihad State " ( a territory that was established by political and religious Muslim leaders, often fittingly titled Emir, who conquer a region by offensive war, invoking Jihad bin saif in the sense of holy war to establish an Islamic rule in accordance with Qur ' anic injunctions ) most often refers to Fulbe jihad states in and around Nigeria, the order also gave rise to a few elsewhere in Western Africa, notably in present Mali.

French Sudan ( Soudan Francais ) was established in the late nineteenth century and occupied roughly the same territory as modern Mali.

The Mali Empire expanded during the 14th century, and in the 15th century, the Wolf established the Jolof Empire in Senegal.

A Berber group, the Tuareg, are in rebellion against the West African country of Mali as of 2012 and have established a de facto independent state called Azawad.

On March 26, 1991, the government of Mali was overthrown in a military coup and a multi-party democracy was established.

The Kénédougou Kingdom, also referred to as the Kenedugu Kingdom, ( c. 1650-1898 ) was a pre-colonial West African state established in the southern portion of present-day Mali.

A couple of generations after him his great-nephew, Mansa Musa I of Mali, made a celebrated pilgrimage to Mecca which established his reputation as the richest man of his day.

In 1972 a predecessor organization was established, the Organisation des Etats Riverians du Fleuve Sénégal ( or the Senegal River Riparian States Organization ), with the four border countries — Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal — to manage the Sénégal River drainage basin and the river itself.

Shortly after his reign the Mali Empire began to decline and was ultimately supplanted by its vassal states in the 15th century.

The most successful of these was the Songhai Empire, expanding its power from about 1460, and eventually surpassing the Mali Empire in both territory and wealth.

Mali Empire at its greatest extent

Mali reached the peak of its power and extent in the 14th century, when Mansa Musa ( 1312 – 1337 ) made his famous hajj to Mecca with 500 slaves, each holding a bar of gold worth 500 mitqals.

After the reign of Mansa Suleyman ( 1341 – 1360 ), Mali began its spiral downward.

Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara, while the country's southern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Sénégal rivers.

In early 1959, French Sudan ( which changed its name to the Sudanese Republic ) and Senegal united to become the Mali Federation.

From its capital in Kumbi Saleh on the edge of the desert, the empire expanded throughout southeastern Mauritania, southwestern Mali, and northern Senegal.

On 20 June 1960 the Federation of Mali became an independent country and Modibo Keïta became its first President.

Mali is a member of the United Nations ( and many of its specialized agencies ), the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ), the World Bank, the International Labour Organization ( ILO ), the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU ), the Universal Postal Union ( UPU ) and the International Criminal Court ( ICC ).

Britain has closed its embassy ; ECOWAS has declared an embargo against Mali, aiming to squeeze out Malinese oil supplies ; closed Mali's assets in the ECOWAS regional bank and has prepared a potential intervention force of 3, 000 troops.

Mali has a longstanding relationship with France, its former colonial ruler, but relations have been described as ambivalent rather than close.

Mali currently is a small market for U. S. trade and investment, but there is potential for considerable growth as its economy expands.

Niger has close relations with its neighbour Mali, with large scale trade links and sizable population movement between the two nations.

Spread along the Niger River in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, throughout the historic Songhai Empire, including its former capital Gao and the well-known city of Timbuktu.

It is known by historians that at its height the Mali Empire built a large naval fleet under Emperor Mansa Musa in the late 13th and early 14th century.

Extension of the Mali Empire at its height

Two other major political entities were formed and grew during the 13th and 14th century: the Mali Empire and the Jolof Empire which become the vassal of the first in its heyday.

* August 20 – Senegal breaks away from the Mali Federation, declaring its independence.

* September 22 – Mali, the sole remaining member of the " Mali Federation " following the withdrawal of Senegal one month earlier, declares its full independence as the Republic of Mali.

Russia has an embassy in Bamako, and Mali has an embassy in Moscow.

Countries where ASL or a derivative of ASL is the national or a widespread language include Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana ( with BSL ), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d ' Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya ( minority use ), Liberia, Madagascar ( minority use ), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines ( L2 use ), Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, and Zimbabwe ( with ZSL ).

193-Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Mali is among the ten poorest nations of the world, is one of the 37 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, and is a major recipient of foreign aid from many sources, including multilateral organizations ( most significantly the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Arab Funds ), and bilateral programs funded by the European Union, France, United States, Canada, Netherlands, and Germany.

Natural Resources Canada estimated that Canadian mining investment in Mali reached Cdn .$ 500 million in 2009, and in 2005, 73 mining concessions were held by Canadian firms in Mali.

The UNCCD has 194 country Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Soon after, it signed similar agreements with Canada, Peru, Guatemala, and Mali and demonstrated leadership in implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti *, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati *, Kuwait, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic *, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela ( Bolivarian Republic of ), Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Further, he undertook eight state visits, becoming the first governor general of Canada to make such trips to the Czech Republic, India, Pakistan, the Côte d ' Ivoire, Tanzania, Mali, and Morocco.

Countries that contributed troops to UNAMIR throughout its existence were: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, India, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Contracting members include: Albania ; Algeria ; Andorra ; Angola ; Antigua and Barbuda ; Argentina ; Armenia ; Australia ; Austria ; Azerbaijan ; Bahamas ; Bahrain ; Bangladesh ; Barbados ; Belarus ; Belgium ; Belize ; Benin ; Bhutan ; Bolivia ; Bosnia and Herzegovina ; Botswana ; Brazil ; Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria ; Burkina Faso ; Burundi ; Cambodia ; Cameroon ; Canada ; Central African Republic ; Chad ; Chile ; China ; Colombia ; Comoros ; Congo ; Costa Rica ; Croatia ; Cuba ; Cyprus ; Czech Republic ; Côte d ' Ivoire ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Denmark ; Djibouti ; Dominica ; Dominican Republic ; Ecuador ; Egypt ; El Salvador ; Equatorial Guinea ; Estonia ; Finland ; France ; Gabon ; Gambia ; Georgia ; Germany ; Ghana ; Greece ; Grenada ; Guatemala ; Guinea ; Guinea-Bissau ; Guyana ; Haiti ; Holy See ; Honduras ; Hungary ; Iceland ; India ; Indonesia ; Iran ( Islamic Republic of ); Iraq ; Ireland ; Israel ; Italy ; Jamaica ; Japan ; Jordan ; Kazakhstan ; Kenya ; Kyrgyzstan ; Laos ; Latvia ; Lebanon ; Lesotho ; Liberia ; Libya ; Liechtenstein ; Lithuania ; Luxembourg ; Macedonia ; Madagascar ; Malawi ; Malaysia ; Mali ; Malta ; Mauritania ; Mauritius ; Mexico ; Moldova ; Monaco ; Mongolia ; Morocco ; Mozambique ; Namibia ; Nepal ; Netherlands ; New Zealand ; Nicaragua ; Niger ; Nigeria ; Norway ; Oman ; Pakistan ; Panama ; Papua New Guinea ; Paraguay ; Peru ; Philippines ; Poland ; Portugal ; Qatar ; Republic of Korea ; Romania ; Russian Federation ; Rwanda ; Saint Kitts and Nevis ; Saint Lucia ; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ; San Marino ; Sao Tome and Principe ; Saudi Arabia ; Senegal ; Serbia ; Seychelles ; Sierra Leone ; Singapore ; Slovakia ; Slovenia ; South Africa ; Spain ; Sri Lanka ; Sudan ; Suriname ; Swaziland ; Sweden ; Switzerland ; Syrian Arab Republic ; Tajikistan ; Thailand ; Togo ; Tonga ; Trinidad and Tobago ; Tunisia ; Turkey ; Turkmenistan ; Uganda ; Ukraine ; United Arab Emirates ; United Kingdom ; United Republic of Tanzania ; United States of America ; Uruguay ; Uzbekistan ; Venezuela ; Vietnam ; Yemen ; Zambia ; and Zimbabwe.

The Summit was proposed in 1989 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada, President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, President Moussa Traore of Mali, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, and Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson of Sweden.

In March 2003, Paradis announced that Canada would provide one hundred million dollars to Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, and Tanzania under the Canada Fund for Africa.