Once the home to a major trans-Saharan empire based on the trade of salt and gold, this area was colonized by the French in the 1880's. Complete independence was achieved on 22 September 1960 - after initially being federated with Senegal from 20 June 1960 to 20 August 1960.

Find out more about the history of Mali:
• A Brief History of Mali
• The Federation of Mali
• Mali History Resources

^{Image: ©2006 Alistair Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}