Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is bordered by Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso to the south, Guinea to the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania to the west.
The country's climate ranges from tropical in the south to arid in the north. Most of the country receives negligible rainfall; droughts are frequent. Late June to early December is the rainy season.

Islam was introduced to West Africa in the 11th century and remains the predominant religion in much of the region. An estimated 90% of Malians are Muslim, approximately 5% are Christian and the remaining 5% adhere to indigenous or traditional animist beliefs. Atheism and agnosticism are believed to be rare among Malians, most of whom practice their religion on a daily basis.
Mali's official language is French, and over 40 African languages also are spoken by the various ethnic groups. About 80% of Mali's population can communicate in Bambara, which serves as an important lingua franca. Bambara is one of the twelve national languages recognized by the government.

Mali is divided into eight regions and one district. Each region has a governor. Since Mali's regions are very large, the country is subdivided into 49 cercles and 703 communes.
The Central Bank of West African States handles the financial affairs of Mali and additional members of the Economic Community of West African States. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world.