Mali Flag

The Malian flag consists of three equal vertical bands of green, yellow, and red colors from the hoist side to the fly side. The three colors are also the Pan-African colors. The flag was officially adopted on March 1, 1961. The current flag of Mali resembles that of Guinea, and the only difference is the colors of the Malian flag are reversed compared to that of Guinea. The measurement of the flag is in the ratio of 2:3.

The green color on the flag is a symbol of the nature and fertility of the land while the yellow color is a symbol of purity and the abundant mineral deposits available in Mali. The last color red stands for the blood spilled by the heroes who fought for the country’s independence.

The design of the Malian flag is based on the colors of the Pan-African flag, which had the red, gold, and green colors. These colors have been used to design several African countries flags. The inspiration behind the colors used comes from Ethiopia. Many African countries were inspired to fight for their independence through Ethiopia. Ethiopia was never colonized, and its independence prompted many African countries to fight hence the use of the colors to design the Pan-African flag.

The original design of the Malian flag had one different element used on the flag. In 1959, after Mali gained independence, their national flag had the same colors and the same number of stripes. The only different element not on the current flag was the Kananga. The Kananga was a human-like black figure on the middle stripe. It had its hands raised to the sky. This particular flag was used from 1959 to 1961 when the current flag was officially adopted.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Bamako
Languages	French (official), Bambara 46.3%, Peul/Foulfoulbe 9.4%, Dogon 7.2%, Maraka/Soninke 6.4%, Malinke 5.6%, Sonrhai/Djerma 5.6%, Minianka 4.3%, Tamacheq 3.5%, Senoufo 2.6%, Bobo 2.1%, unspecified 0.7%, other 6.3%
Ethnic Groups	Bambara 34.1%, Fulani (Peul) 14.7%, Sarakole 10.8%, Senufo 10.5%, Dogon 8.9%, Malinke 8.7%, Bobo 2.9%, Songhai 1.6%, Tuareg 0.9%, other Malian 6.1%, from member of Economic Community of West African States 0.3%, other 0.4% (2012-13 est.)
Religion	Muslim 94.8%, Christian 2.4%, Animist 2%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.3% (2009 est.)
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independance	22 September 1960 (from France)
Area	1,240,192.00 km²
Water Area	20,002.00 km²
Land Area	1,220,190.00 km²
Population	17,467,108.00 The overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso
Location	interior Western Africa, southwest of Algeria, north of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, west of Niger
No. Bordering Countries	7
Bordering Countries	Algeria 1,359 km, Burkina Faso 1,325 km, Cote d'Ivoire 599 km, Guinea 1,062 km, Mauritania 2,236 km, Niger 838 km, Senegal 489 km
GDP(PPP)	$38,090,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$2,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Switzerland, India, and China.
Export Commodities	its main exports are cotton, gold, and livestock.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the Cote d'Ivoire, France, and Senegal.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include petroleum, machinery and equipment, and construction materials.
Climate	Subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)
Terrain	Mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Learn More	Mali

Mali Flag

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?