Mali

Mali, a West African landlocked country, mainly in the Saharan and Sahelian regions. Today's Mali was once part of three very powerful West African empires that dominated the trans-Saharan trade. Mali is mostly flat and arid, with the Niger River running through its interior, which is the country's main artery for trade and transport. Some sections of the river are flood periodically, which provides much-needed fertile land along its banks, as well as providing pasture for livestock. Despite being one of Africa's largest countries, Mali has a relatively small population, largely living along the Niger River. The predominant ethnic group and language is Bambara, but many other groups are also present in the population. Mali has three sub-equal vegetation zones, with the Sahara Desert in the north, the Niger River Basin in the middle and the Senegal River in the south. The country has a number of protected areas, including two national parks, a biosphere reserve, six animal reserves, two partial animal reserves, two sanctuaries, a chimpanzee sanctuary, six game reserves and three Ramsar sites. The country has 146 mammal species, of which 2 are critically endangered, 3 endangered, 10 vulnerable and 3 near threatened. The country is home to chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants, lions, and African Manatees are found everywhere along the Niger River. There are seventeen Important Bird Areas in Mali, covering 28 692 square kilometers. The Kulicoro Firefinch, otherwise known as the Mali Firefinch, is Mali's only endemic bird, living in rocky and grassy regions near Mopti and Bamako.