View source for Bamako

{{Short description|Capital and largest city of Mali}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name          = Bamako
| native_name            = {{native name list
  |tag1=bm|name1=ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬
  |tag2=ff|name2=𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮
  }}
| other_name             = 
| settlement_type        = [[Capital city]]
| image_skyline          = {{multiple image
 | border        = infobox
 | total_width   = 300
 | perrow        = 1/2/2/2
 | caption_align = center
 | image1        = 
 | caption1      = Bamako skyline
 | image2        = Place de la liberté - Bamako.jpg
 | caption2      = Place de la Liberté
 | image3        = BCEAO Tower.JPG
 | caption3      = [[BCEAO Tower (Bamako)|BCEAO Tower]]
 | image4        = StatueCiteNigerBamako.jpg
 | caption4      = Statue in the Cité du Niger
 | image5        = NCC tower Bamako.jpg
 | caption5      = NCC Tower at the Centre International de Conférence de Bamako
 | image6        = WesternBridgeOverTheCiteNiger.jpg
 | caption6      = Western bridge entering into the Cité du Niger
 | image7        = Bamako, Mali - panoramio.jpg
 | caption7      = Tower of Africa}}
| image_seal             = Blason ville ml Bamako (Mali).svg
| seal_size              = 
| image_map              = Bamako in Mali 2012.svg
| mapsize                = 300px
| map_caption            = Bamako on the Niger River
| pushpin_map            = Mali#Africa
| pushpin_map_caption    = Location of Bamako
| pushpin_relief         = yes
| image_map1             = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=300|frame-align=center|type=shape-inverse|stroke-color=#000000|stroke-width=4|fill=#000000|fill-opacity=0|zoom=10|frame-lat=12.616385|frame-long=-7.972646}}
| mapsize1               = 300px
| map_caption1           = Interactive map of Bamako in Mali
| coordinates            = {{Coord|12|38|21|N|08|00|10|W|region:DZ_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = {{flag|Mali}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[List of regions of Mali|Region]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[Cercles of Mali|Cercle]]
| subdivision_name1      = Bamako Capital District
| subdivision_name2      = Bamako
| established_title      = 
| established_date       = 
| established_title2     = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date2      = 
| established_title3     = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3      = 
| parts_type             = Subdivisions
| parts_style            = list
| parts                  = Communes
| p1                     = [[Commune I, Bamako|Commune I]]<ref name=1&2>[http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21984]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref>
| government_footnotes   = 
| government_type        = Capital District
| leader_title           = Mayor of District (Maire du District)
| leader_name            = [[Adama Sangaré]]<ref>[http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=35838 "Coupe du Maire du District : Le Stade reçoit son trophée"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613084252/http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=35838 |date=13 June 2017 }}. L'Essor, 24 September 2008</ref>
| leader_title1          = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
| leader_name1           = 
| area_footnotes         = 
| area_magnitude         = 
| area_total_km2         = 245.0
| area_land_km2          = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
| area_water_km2         = 
| area_water_percent     = 
| area_urban_km2         = 
| area_metro_km2         = 
| elevation_footnotes    = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://population.mongabay.com/population/mali/2460596/bamako |title=Population of Bamako, Mali |work=Mongabay.com |access-date=25 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525223123/http://population.mongabay.com/population/mali/2460596/bamako |archive-date=25 May 2015 }}</ref>
| elevation_m            = 350
| elevation_ft           = 
| population_total       = 4,227,569<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/mali/cities/ |title=Bamako population}}</ref>
| population_as_of       = 2022 census
| population_footnotes   = 
| population_density_km2 = 16776
| population_urban       = 
| population_density_urban_km2 = 
| population_metro       = 
| population_density_metro_km2 = 
| population_note        = 
| postal_code_type       = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code            = 
| area_code              = 
| iso_code               = ML-BKO
| website                = 
| footnotes              = 
| p2                     = [[Commune II, Bamako|Commune II]]<ref name="1&2"/>
| p3                     = [[Commune III, Bamako|Commune III]]<ref name=3&4>[http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21982]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref>
| p4                     = [[Commune IV, Bamako|Commune IV]]<ref name="3&4"/>
| p5                     = [[Commune V, Bamako|Commune V]]<ref name=5&6>[http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21983]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref>
| p6                     = [[Commune VI, Bamako|Commune VI]]<ref name="5&6"/>
| leader_title2          = 
| leader_name2           = 
| leader_title3          = 
| leader_name3           = 
| leader_title4          = 
| leader_name4           = 
| timezone               = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset             = +00:00
| blank_name_sec1        = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2017)
| blank_info_sec1        = {{Ubl
  | 0.623<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=13 September 2018|archive-date=23 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|url-status=live}}</ref>
  | {{color|#fc0|medium}} · [[List of regions of Mali by Human Development Index|1st]]
  }}
| blank1_name            = 
| blank1_info            = 
| image_flag             = 
}}

'''Bamako'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˌ|b|æ|m|ə|ˈ|k|oʊ}} {{respell|BAM|ə|KOH}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|ˌ|b|ɑː|m|ə|ˈ|k|oʊ}} {{respell|BAH|mə|KOH}};<ref>{{cite EPD|18|Bamako|page=43}}</ref> {{langx|bm-Nkoo|ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬|Bàmakɔ̌|crocodile river}};<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/09/03/archives/sudanese-impose-senegal-boycott-traders-told-to-use-port-in-ivory.html|title=SUDANESE IMPOSE SENEGAL BOYCOTT; Traders Told to Use Port in Ivory Coast – Move Is Aimed at Dakar's Trade|newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 September 1960|last=Rosenthal|first=A. M.|author-link=A. M. Rosenthal|access-date=22 July 2018|archive-date=22 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722223148/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/09/03/archives/sudanese-impose-senegal-boycott-traders-told-to-use-port-in-ivory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> {{langx|ff-Adlm|𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮|Bamako-Adlm}}.}} is the [[Capital city|capital]] and largest city of [[Mali]], West Africa, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the [[Niger River]], near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. 

Bamako is the nation's administrative centre. The city proper is a [[Cercles of Mali|cercle]] in its own right. Bamako's [[Inland port|river port]] is located in nearby [[Koulikoro]], along with a major regional trade and conference centre. Bamako is the seventh-largest West African urban centre after [[Lagos]], [[Abidjan]], [[Kano (city)|Kano]], [[Ibadan]], [[Dakar]], and [[Accra]]. Locally manufactured goods include textiles, processed meat, and metal goods as well as mining. Commercial fishing occurs on the Niger River.

In recent years, Bamako has seen significant urban development, with the construction of modern buildings, shopping malls, and infrastructure projects aimed at improving the quality of life for its residents. The city is home to many notable institutions, such as the [[University of Bamako]], the [[National Museum of Mali]], the Mali National Zoo, and the [[Grand Mosque of Bamako]]. It is also the location for the [[Modibo Keita International Airport|Modibbo Keita International Airport]]. The buildings of Bamako have a unique architectural style.

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Bamako}}
The area of the city has evidence of settlements since the [[Paleolithic|Palaeolithic]] era.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} The fertile lands of the Niger River Valley provided the people with an abundant food supply and early chiefdoms in the area grew wealthy as they established trade routes linking across west Africa, the [[Sahara]], and leading to northern Africa and Europe as early as 600s BCE. The early inhabitants traded [[gold]], [[ivory]], [[kola nut]]s, and salt. By the 11th century, the [[Empire of Ghana]] became the first kingdom to dominate the area, later succeeded by the [[Mali Empire]].<ref name="AFN">{{cite web|url=http://www.africatravelling.net/mali/bamako/bamako_history.htm |title=Bamako – History |publisher=Africatravelling.net |access-date=23 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923033144/http://www.africatravelling.net/mali/bamako/bamako_history.htm |archive-date=23 September 2009 }}</ref>
[[File:Bamako tata.png|thumb|left|A view of the [[Tata (fortification)|tata]] of Bamako in 1880 from the Niger]]
The ''[[Kafo|kafu]]'' of Bamako was founded around 1650 by the Niare family, perhaps associated with a [[Soninke people|Soninke]] man named Bamba Sanogo. The Toure and Drave families, mostly clerics and merchants, were also prominent in early Bamako.{{sfn|Perinbam|1999|p=4}}<ref name = Soninkara>{{cite web |last1=Fofana |first1=Moussa |title=Point d’Histoire du Mali: Le Royaume de Sosso ou Khaniaga des Soninké |url=http://www.soninkara.org/actualite-soninke/point-dhistoire-du-mali-le-royaume-de-sosso-ou-khaniaga-des-soninke-1337.html |website=Soninkara |access-date=17 October 2024|date=31 July 2007}}</ref> It was a client state of the [[Segou Empire]].{{sfn|Perinbam|1999|p=2}} The Scottish explorer [[Mungo Park (explorer)|Mungo Park]] visited Bamako in 1806 during his exploration of the Niger River. He estimated that the city at the time held 6000 inhabitants, similar to many other commercial settlements across West Africa at the time.{{sfn|Imperato|1996|p=45}}{{sfn|Perinbam|1999|p=19}}

[[File:Fort de Bammakou.jpg|thumb|left|French Fort of Bammakou, built in 1883]]
In February 1882, [[Samory Toure]] defeated the French at the Battle of Samaya outside [[Kinieran]]. Faced with Toure's expanding [[Wassoulou Empire]], some of the leaders of the Dyula community in Bamako began making overtures to join the anti-French alliance. The French commander [[Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes]], eager to possess this key strategic location on the Niger, rushed a force to establish a fort there on 1 February 1883.<ref name = Fofana>{{cite book |last1=Fofana |first1=Khalil |title=L' Almami Samori Touré Empereur |date=1998 |publisher=Présence Africaine |location=Paris |isbn=978-2-7087-0678-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/lalmamisamoritou00fofa/page/16/mode/2up |access-date=30 September 2023}}</ref>{{rp|76}} Kebe Brema, Samory's brother, led a force to Bamako to lure the French out of their defenses. They fought two [[Battles of Woyowoyanko| battles at Woyo Wayanko creek]] in early April, with Kebe Brema winning the first but eventually being forced to retreat.<ref>{{cite book | last=Person | first=Yves | title=Samori. Une révolution dyula. | publisher=Mémoires de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire | year=1968 |url=http://www.webmande.net/bibliotheque/yperson/011Apogee.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828083347/http://www.webmande.net/bibliotheque/yperson/011Apogee.html | archive-date=28 August 2017 }}</ref>

In 1904 a railroad was built connecting Bamako to [[Kayes]], and the city began growing quickly upon being named the capital of [[French Sudan]] in 1908.{{sfn|Imperato|1996|p=45}} The [[Cercles of Mali|cercle]] of Mali at this time had around 160 000 inhabitants living in 4-500 villages.{{sfn|Perinbam|1999|p=17}} [[Dakar-Niger railroad|A railroad]] connecting Bamako to [[Dakar]] was completed in 1923.<ref name = decline>{{cite web |title=Le train Dakar-Bamako : histoire d’un lent déclin |url=https://au-senegal.com/le-train-dakar-bamako-histoire-d-un-lent-declin,15765.html?lang=fr |website=Kaay Xool |publisher=Au Senegal |access-date=19 September 2023 |date=26 November 2019}}</ref> 

Mali gained independence from France in April 1960, and the Republic of Mali was later established. At this time, Bamako had a population of around 160,000. During the 1960s, the country became socialist and Bamako was subject to [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] investment and influence.<ref name="AFN" /> However, the economy declined as state enterprises collapsed and unrest was widespread.<ref name="AFN" /> Eventually, [[Moussa Traoré]] led a successful coup and ruled Mali for 23 years. However his rule was characterised by severe droughts and poor government management and problems of food shortages.<ref name="AFN" />

In the late 1980s the people of Bamako and Mali campaigned for a free-market economy and multiparty democracy. In 1990, the [[National Congress for Democratic Initiative]] (''Congrès National d'Initiative démocratique'', CNID) was set up by the lawyer [[Mountaga Tall]], and the [[Alliance for Democracy in Mali]] (''Alliance pour la démocratie au Mali'', ADEMA) by Abdramane Baba and historian [[Alpha Oumar Konaré]]. These with the ''Association des élèves et étudiants du Mali'' (AEEM) and the [[Association Malienne des Droits de l'Homme]] (AMDH) aimed to oust Moussa Traoré. Under the old constitution, all labor unions had to belong to one confederation, the [[National Union of Malian Workers]] (UNTM). When the leadership of the UNTM broke from the government in 1990, the opposition grew. Groups were driven by paycuts and layoffs in the government sector, and the Malian government acceding to pressure from international donors to privatise large swathes of the economy that had remained in public hands even after the overthrow of the socialist government in 1968. Students, even children, played an increasing role in the protest marches in Bamako, and homes and businesses of those associated with the regime were ransacked by crowds.

On 22 March 1991, a large-scale protest march in central Bamako was violently suppressed, with estimates of those killed reaching 300. Four days later, a military coup deposed Traoré. The ''Comité de Transition pour le Salut du Peuple'' was set up, headed by General [[Amadou Toumani Touré]].<ref>Patrick Manning. Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, 1880–1995: 1880–1995. Cambridge University Press (1998) {{ISBN|0-521-64519-0}}  pp.198–199</ref> Alpha Oumar Konari officially became president on 26 April 1992.<ref name="AFN"/>

Bamako had been the target of numerous [[jihadist]] [[terrorist attack]]s during the [[Islamist insurgency in the Sahel]].<ref name=ShiftingStrategy>Rachel Chason, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/29/mali-bamako-jnim-attack-qaeda/ Bloody attack in Mali's capital shows al-Qaeda's shifting strategy], ''Washington Post'' (October 29, 2024)/</ref> On 20 November 2015, two gunmen [[2015 Bamako hotel attack|took 170 people hostage]] in the [[Radisson Blu]] hotel. Twenty-one people were killed along with the two gunmen during the seven-hour siege.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/mali-attack-highlights-global-spread-extremist-violence Mali attack: more than 20 dead after terrorist raid on Bamako hotel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129025410/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/mali-attack-highlights-global-spread-extremist-violence |date=29 November 2016 }}, Mamadou Tapily et al, 21 November 2015, The Guardian, Retrieved 5 January 2015</ref> In a [[2024 Bamako attacks|series of attacks on 17 September 2024]], a group of gunmen from [[Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin]] (JNIM), an [[al-Qaeda]] affiliate, attacked a military training school, killing many [[gendarme]] and trainees, and set aircraft ablaze at the [[Modibo Keita International Airport|international airport]].<ref name=ShiftingStrategy/><ref name=PeltierTriebert>Elian Peltier and Christiaan Triebert, [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/19/world/africa/mali-bamako-attack-jnim.html Assault on Mali’s Capital Killed 50 or More, but Leaders Say Little], ''New York Times'' (September 19, 2024).</ref> At least 77 people were killed.<ref name=ShiftingStrategy/> This was the first jihadist attack on Bamako since 2016.<ref name=PeltierTriebert/> JNIM is a successor to some of the organizations responsible for the 2015 attack.<ref name=ShiftingStrategy/> The 2024 attack was downplayed by the Malian military junta (led by [[Assimi Goïta]]), which seized control over the country in a [[2021 Malian coup d'état|2021 coup d'état]].<ref name=ShiftingStrategy/><ref name=PeltierTriebert/>

==Geography==
[[File:Pont des Martyrs Bamako.jpg|thumb|right|Pont des Martyrs]]
Bamako is situated on the Niger River floodplain, which hampers development along the riverfront and the Niger's tributaries. Bamako is relatively flat, except to the immediate north where an [[escarpment]] is found, being what remains of an extinct volcano. The Presidential Palace and main hospital are located here.

[[File:ViewFromTheSouthernShoreOfCiteDuNiger.jpg|right|thumb|Niger river]]
[[File:Hilltop view over Bamako.jpg|thumb|right|Hills around Bamako]]
[[File:Bamakolooking north from the old bridge.jpg|thumb|left|Road in Bamako. Kuluba hill, with the Presidential Palace, is in the background.]]

Originally, the city developed on the northern side of the river, but as it grew, bridges were developed to connect the north with the south. The first of these was the [[Martyrs Bridge (Bamako)|Pont des Martyrs]] (2-lane with two pedestrian sections) and the [[King Fahd Bridge (Bamako)|King Fahd Bridge]] (four-lane with two motorcycle and two pedestrian sections). Additionally, a seasonal causeway between the eastern neighborhoods of Sotuba and Misabugu was inherited from colonial times (alternated traffic on one lane with five crossing sections). The [[Sotuba Causeway]] (''Chaussée submersible de Sotuba'' in French, and ''Babilikoroni'' in [[Bambara language|Bamanankan]]) is typically under water from July to January. A third bridge (1.4&nbsp;km long, 24 m wide, four-lane with two motorcycle and two pedestrian sections) is being built at the same location<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=18466|title=maliweb.net :: Construction du 3e Pont de Bamako : Maliens et Chinois d'accord sur les aspects techniques du projet|access-date=25 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525222445/http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=18466|archive-date=25 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> to reduce downtown congestion, notably by trucks.

===Climate===
Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], Bamako features a [[tropical savanna climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Aw''). Located in the [[Sudanian Savanna|Sudano]]-[[Sahel]]ian zone, Bamako is very hot on average all year round with the hottest months being between March and May. The mildest months are between November and February. During the dry season, rainfall is scarce: virtually none falls between November and April due to the dominance of the Saharan anticyclone and the dry [[trade winds]]. The rainy season occurs in the summer with the peak occurring with a few storms beginning in May, then transitioning to the monsoon from June to October.
{{Weather box
|location=Bamako (1991–2020, extremes 1949–present)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 39.0
|Feb record high C = 42.8
|Mar record high C = 43.9
|Apr record high C = 46.0
|May record high C = 45.0
|Jun record high C = 42.6
|Jul record high C = 42.4
|Aug record high C = 37.8
|Sep record high C = 38.4
|Oct record high C = 38.9
|Nov record high C = 42.0
|Dec record high C = 40.0
|year record high C = 46.0
| Jan high C  =32.6
| Feb high C  =35.7
| Mar high C  =38.3
| Apr high C  =39.5
| May high C  =37.9
| Jun high C  =34.8
| Jul high C  =31.6
| Aug high C  =30.6
| Sep high C  =31.9
| Oct high C  =34.5
| Nov high C  =35.4
| Dec high C  =33.3
| year high C =
| Jan mean C  =24.9
| Feb mean C  =27.9
| Mar mean C  =30.6
| Apr mean C  =32.3
| May mean C  =31.6
| Jun mean C  =29.1
| Jul mean C  =26.8
| Aug mean C  =26.1
| Sep mean C  =26.7
| Oct mean C  =27.8
| Nov mean C  =26.7
| Dec mean C  =25.1
| year mean C =
| Jan low C  =17.2
| Feb low C  =20.1
| Mar low C  =22.9
| Apr low C  =25.1
| May low C  =25.2
| Jun low C  =23.3
| Jul low C  =22.0
| Aug low C  =21.7
| Sep low C  =21.5
| Oct low C  =21.1
| Nov low C  =17.9
| Dec low C  =16.8
| year low C =
|Jan record low C = 8.7
|Feb record low C = 9.0
|Mar record low C = 12.0
|Apr record low C = 15.8
|May record low C = 17.8
|Jun record low C = 16.1
|Jul record low C = 17.5
|Aug record low C = 17.2
|Sep record low C = 18.0
|Oct record low C = 13.0
|Nov record low C = 9.5
|Dec record low C = 6.1
|year record low C = 6.1
| precipitation colour  =  green
| Jan precipitation mm  =2.1
| Feb precipitation mm  =0.8
| Mar precipitation mm  =3.7
| Apr precipitation mm  =17.7
| May precipitation mm  =70.9
| Jun precipitation mm  =129.9
| Jul precipitation mm  =227.4
| Aug precipitation mm  =263.8
| Sep precipitation mm  =175.7
| Oct precipitation mm  =52.6
| Nov precipitation mm  =2.2
| Dec precipitation mm  =0.0
| year precipitation mm =
| unit precipitation days =  1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days  =0.2
| Feb precipitation days  =0.1
| Mar precipitation days  =0.4
| Apr precipitation days  =2.2
| May precipitation days  =5.8
| Jun precipitation days  =9.6
| Jul precipitation days  =14.1
| Aug precipitation days  =16.3
| Sep precipitation days  =12.5
| Oct precipitation days  =5.4
| Nov precipitation days  =0.3
| Dec precipitation days  =0
| year precipitation days =
|Jan humidity = 24
|Feb humidity = 20
|Mar humidity = 22
|Apr humidity = 33
|May humidity = 50
|Jun humidity = 67
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 81
|Sep humidity = 78
|Oct humidity = 65
|Nov humidity = 38
|Dec humidity = 27
|year humidity = 49
|Jan sun = 277.4
|Feb sun = 253.0
|Mar sun = 268.1
|Apr sun = 230.4
|May sun = 242.6
|Jun sun = 233.6
|Jul sun = 216.6
|Aug sun = 218.3
|Sep sun = 221.7
|Oct sun = 253.7
|Nov sun = 270.7
|Dec sun = 268.6
|year sun = 2954.7
|source 1= NOAA (sun, 1961–1990),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Mali/CSV/BamakoSenou_61291.csv |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020: Mali-Bamako Senou |access-date=7 January 2024 |publisher=NOAA |format=CSV}}</ref><ref name = NOAA>
{{Cite FTP | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/M1/61291.TXT
| server = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| title = BKO–s (Bamako) Climate Normals 1961–1990
| access-date = 10 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=global-summary-of-the-day&stations=61291099999&startDate=1700-01-01&endDate=2023-12-31&dataTypes=MAX,MIN,PRCP
| title = Global Surface Summary of the Day – GSOD
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| accessdate = 26 January 2023
}}</ref> [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name= WMO>{{cite web
| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/034/c00129.htm
| title = World Weather Information Service – Bamako
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| access-date = 20 June 2013
| archive-date = 13 March 2013
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130313214445/http://worldweather.wmo.int/034/c00129.htm
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
|source 2= [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (extremes and humidity),<ref name = DWD>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_612910_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Bamako (Flughafen) / Mali
| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = 3 February 2019
| archive-date = 9 June 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200609162241/https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_612910_kt.pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Extreme Temperature Around The World <ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.mherrera.org/temp.htm
| title = December record low, April record high
| work = 
| publisher = 
| language = en
| access-date = 3 July 2023}}</ref>
}}

== Environment ==

=== Waste Management Controversy ===
In 2015, the Bamako city government privatized waste collection in the city. Before the introduction of this program there was a long standing informal waste collection system carried out by "Economic interest groups."<ref>{{Cite web|last=EJOLT|title=QUATRE ANS APRÈS LA SIGNATURE DU CONTRAT OZONE MALI : AUCUNE PARTIE N'EST SATISFAITE|date=5 March 2019 |url=http://bamada.net/quatre-ans-apres-la-signature-du-contrat-ozone-mali-aucune-partie-nest-satisfaite|lang=fr|access-date=21 April 2021|archive-date=21 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421160542/http://bamada.net/quatre-ans-apres-la-signature-du-contrat-ozone-mali-aucune-partie-nest-satisfaite|url-status=live}}</ref> Before the privatization these independent groups collected waste throughout the city. After privatization, not only did many waste collectors become unemployed but the corporation that they enlisted to do the job was collecting only 30% of Bamako's waste. The garbage build up creates toxic living conditions and it only worsens when it rains. Due to the prevalence of waste in Bamako's streets, including informal dumping sites near a school, citizens have taken to protesting, marching and it has even escalated to the point of property damage.<ref>{{Cite web|last=EJOLT|title=Waste collection dispute in Bamako, Mali {{!}} EJAtlas|url=https://ejatlas.org/conflict/privatization-of-waste-management-and-displacement-of-informal-recyclers-in-bamako-mali|access-date=19 April 2021|website=[[Environmental Justice Atlas]]|language=en|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419155059/https://ejatlas.org/conflict/privatization-of-waste-management-and-displacement-of-informal-recyclers-in-bamako-mali|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Administration==
The District of Bamako has been divided into six communes (distinguished by numbers, and not named) since Ordinance No. 78-34/CNLM of 18 August 1978, and amended by a law in February 1982 establishing the new boundaries of Communes III and IV.<ref>[http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21982 Ordonnance n° 78-34/CNLM du 18 août 1978, modifiée par une loi de février 1982 fixant les nouvelles limites des Communes III et IV, cité par Doussou Djiré, Commune IV : entre tradition et modernité]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}, l'Essor, 24 April 2009</ref> Each commune is administered by the municipal council and a mayor elected from among its members. The last elections were held on 26 April 2009 and the [[Alliance for Democracy in Mali]] hold the majority of representatives for the communes.

===Communes and neighborhoods===
[[Commune I, Bamako|Commune I]] has a population of 335,407 people (2009) and covers {{convert|35|km2}}. It is bounded to the north by the rural commune of [[Djalakorodji]] ([[Kati Cercle]]), west by the Commune II, north-east by the rural commune of [[Sangarebougou]] (Kati Cercle), on the east by the rural commune of [[Gabakourou]] and south by the Niger River. Nine neighborhoods comprise this commune: Banconi, Boulkassombougou, Djelibougou, Doumanzana Fadjiguila, Sotuba Korofina North, and South Korofina Sikoroni.<ref>Badiaga, S. (24 April 2009). [http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21984  "Town I: 26 lists in contention, the Rise"]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref>

[[Commune II, Bamako|Commune II]] has a population of 159,805 people (2009) and covers {{convert|18.3|km2}}. It is bounded to the east by the backwater of Korofina at the west foot of the Point G hill, and to the south by [[Niger River]]. The municipality has eleven neighborhoods: Niaréla (the oldest), Bagadadji, Medina-Coura, Bozola, Missira, Hippodrome, Quinzambougou, Bakaribougou, TSF, Industrial Area, and Bougouba. The new [[Cité Niger|Cité du Niger]] island is also located in the Commune II.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DLs1WaRmXBQC&q=quartiers+commune+ii+%22cite+du+niger%22+bamako&pg=PA101|title=Mali: The Bradt Travel Guide|last1=Velton|first1=Ross|last2=Geels|first2=Jolijn|date=1 January 2004|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=9781841620770|language=en|access-date=1 October 2020|archive-date=5 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205072944/https://books.google.com/books?id=DLs1WaRmXBQC&q=quartiers+commune+ii+%22cite+du+niger%22+bamako&pg=PA101|url-status=live}}</ref> The area is the most important in the industry sector in Bamako.

[[Commune III, Bamako|Commune III]] has a population of 128,872 people (2009) and covers {{convert|20.7|km2}}. It is bounded on the north by the [[Kati]], east by the Boulevard du Peuple, which separates it from the Commune II, south by the portion of the Niger River, between the Pont des Martyrs and the Motel de Bamako, and west by the [[Farako River]] and Avenue Cheick Zayed El Mahyan Ben Sultan with the neighborhood of ACI-2000. Commune III is the administrative and commercial center of Bamako. It accommodates in particular the two largest markets in the capital, the Grand Market and Dibida. Twenty neighborhoods make up this commune and the villages of Koulouninko and Sirakorodounfing were attached to the Commune III.<ref>Cissé, A.M. (24 April 2009). [http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21982 Commune III : dans un mouchoir de poche ?]{{dead link|date=June 2012}} l'Essor</ref>

[[Commune IV, Bamako|Commune IV]] has a population of 300,085 people (2009) and covers {{convert|42|km2}}. It is bounded to the east by Commune III, north, west by Kati Cercle and south by the left bank of the Niger River. Commune IV consists of eight neighborhoods: Taliko, Lassa, Sibiribougou, Djikoroni Para, Sébénikoro, Hamdallaye, Lafiabougou and Kalabambougou.<ref>Djiré, Doussou (24 April 2009), [http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21982 Commune IV : entre tradition et modernité]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}, l'Essor</ref>

[[Commune V, Bamako|Commune V]] has a population of 414,668 people (2009) and covers {{convert|42|km2}}.<ref>Doumbia, B. (24 April 2009). [http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=21983 Commune V : La nécessité d'agir]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}, L'Essor]</ref> It is bounded to the north by the Niger River, south by the airport and the commune of [[Kalabancoro]], and to the east by the Commune VI and Niger. It consists of eight neighborhoods: Badalabougou, Sema I, Quartier Mali, Torokorobougou, Baco-Djicoroni, Sabalibougou, Daoudabougou and Kalaban-Coura.
[[File:Bamako ACI 2000 Aeriel.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of neighbourhood ACI 2000]]
[[Commune VI, Bamako|Commune VI]] has a population of 470,269 people (2009) and covers {{convert|87|km2}}. This is the largest of the communes that make up Bamako. It consists of ten neighborhoods: Banankabougou, Djanékéla, Faladié, Magnambougou, Missabougou, Niamakoro, Sénou, Sogoniko, Sokorodji and Yrimadio.

Bamako contains the following neighborhoods (quartiers): ACI-2000, Badalabugu, Bajalan I, Bajalan II, Bako Jikoroni, Bagadaji, Bamako Kura, Bankoni, Bolibana, Bozola, Bugudani, Bulkasumbugu, Dar Salam, N'tomikorobougou, Dawdabugu, Dravela, Fajigila, Falaje, Garantigibugu, Jalakoroji, Janekela, Janjigila, Jelibugu, Jikoroni Para, Jumanzana, Hamdallaye, [[Hippodrome, Bamako|Hippodrome]], Kalaban Koro, Kalaban Kura, Korofina, Kuluba, Kulubleni, Lafiabugu, Madina Kura, Magnambugu (Magnambugu Faso Kanu), Misabugu, Misira, Niarela, Ntomikorobugu, Point G, Quartier du Fleuve, Quartier Mali, Quinzanbugu, Sabalibugu I, Sabalibugu II, Safo, Same, Sangarebugu, Saranbugu, Sebeninkoro, Sikoroni, Sirakoro, Senu, Sibiribugu, Sokoniko, Sokoroji, Sotuba, Titibugu, Torokorobugu, TSF-Sans Fil, Wolofobugu, Yirimanjo, Zone Industrielle

==Economy==
[[File:033-artisanat.jpg|thumb|right|Craft sellers set up their wares at the ''zone artisanal'' in Bamako city centre.]]

===Industry===
The District of Bamako concentrates 70% of industrial activity in the country.<ref>Britannica,
[https://www.britannica.com/place/Bamako Bamako] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723122657/https://www.britannica.com/place/Bamako |date=23 July 2019 }}, britannica.com, US, accessed on 30 June 2019</ref>
<ref>Industrial Census in 2006, provided the Council of Ministers of 20 December 2006.</ref> The service sector is the most developed, and the city thrives in crafts and trade.

The traditional commercial center of Bamako was located to the north of the river, and contained within a triangle bounded by Avenue du Fleuve, Rue Baba Diarra, and Boulevard du Peuple. This area contains the Marché Rose and Street Market.

The downtown area is highly congested, polluted, and expensive, and urbanization is sprawling at a rapid pace within a radius of {{convert|30|km}}. The largest urbanized area now lies on the southern bank of the Niger River. A modern central business district is rapidly developing immediately west of the downtown area in the ACI-2000 district, taking advantage of a well-designed geometric layout, legacy of the old airport runways and taxiways. A large administrative area is being developed at the junction between ACI-2000 and the King Fadh Bridge, containing most of the state departments (ministries) and administrative services in a central location. Bamako is also the headquarters of many large companies and administrative institutions.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} [[Air Mali (2005)|Air Mali]] (formerly Compagnie Aérienne du Mali) has its head office in Bamako.<ref>"[http://www.camaero.com/pages/en/contattaci/contattaci.aspx?language=en Contact-us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506053454/http://www.camaero.com/pages/en/contattaci/contattaci.aspx?language=en |date=6 May 2015 }}." [[Air Mali (2005)|Air Mali]]. Retrieved 19 October 2009.</ref> Bamako received much investment by [[Saudi Arabia]] for decades which saw a number of important structures being built. In recent years, China has become an important investor in Bamako, developing its infrastructure and facilities.

[[File:Bamako cattle.jpg|thumb|right|Cattle crossing a road in Bamako]]
Agriculture is active in Bamako, with the presence of [[Bozo people|Bozo]] fisherman, and it is common to see cattle crossing the streets.

===Energy===
{{unreferencedsect|date=May 2024}}
Much of the electricity is generated from the hydroelectric [[Sélingué Dam]]. The drinking water supply in Bamako and [[Kati]] is also ensured by a pumping station on the Niger River. However, the capacity of {{convert|135000|m3}} to provide drinking water per day is insufficient for the needs estimated at {{convert|152000|m3}} during the hot season between April and June. During this period, frequent water shortages are experienced. A new pumping station was to open in Kabala in 2009.

==Architecture==
[[File:BCEAO tower Bamako.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[BCEAO]] tower]]
[[File:Bamakomali (3).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Ministry buildings]]
The [[BCEAO Tower (Bamako)|BCEAO Tower]] at 20 stories is the tallest building in the West African nation. It sits on the north ("left") bank of the River Niger in the city centre.<ref name="Velton2006">{{Cite book|last=Velton|first=Russ|title=Mali|publisher=Bradt UK / Globe Pequot Press|location=Chalfont St Peter, Bucks / Guilford, Connecticut|year=2006|isbn=978-1-84162-077-0}}</ref> The BCEAO Tower is the Malian headquarters of the [[Central Bank of West African States]], which provides development banking and government financial and currency services in several [[Francophone]] [[West African]] nations. Classified as [[Neo-Sudanic]] architecture, it is modeled on the [[Sudano-Sahelian architecture]] of the famous mosques of [[Djenne]] and [[Timbuktu]]. The building is located in the busy [[Commune III (Bamako)|Commune III]] neighbourhood, where "Avenue Moussa Tavele" meets the waterside boulevard between the two main Bamako bridges: [[King Fahd Bridge]] a block west and [[Martyrs Bridge (Bamako)|Martyrs Bridge]] three blocks east. Just to the east of the BCEAO complex, a park and formal garden mark where the diagonally running "Boulevard du Peuple" reaches the river. By contrast, small market gardens and launching points or river canoes lie along the river front.<ref name="Velton2006" />

The [[Cité Administrative (Bamako)|Cité Administrative]] (Administrative City) is a complex of buildings located just west of the northern end of the King Fahd Bridge. The complex was begun in 2003 by then President [[Alpha Oumar Konaré|Konaré]] with the help of funding from the government of Libya. The {{convert|10|ha|adj=on}} Cité Administrative was completed in 2010 and houses many of the offices of the government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orangemali.com/cms/?p=10842|title=Orange|access-date=25 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061309/http://www.orangemali.com/cms/?p=10842|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.journaldumali.com/article.php?aid=2077 |title=JournalDuMali.com: Bamako : la Cité administrative inaugurée par ATT |access-date=25 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016093605/http://www.journaldumali.com/article.php?aid=2077 |archive-date=16 October 2015 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{historical populations|11=1976|12=419,239|13=1987|14=658,275|15=1998|16=1,016,167|17=2009|18=1,810,366|19=2022|20=4,227,569|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/Mali-Cities.html |title=Regions, Major Cities, and Localities |access-date=25 March 2020 |archive-date=25 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125232127/http://www.citypopulation.de/Mali-Cities.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|align=right}}

[[File:BamakoMali.jpg|thumb|People gathered on a Bamako hillside]]
Bamako has experienced staggering population growth. In 1884, it had only 2,500 inhabitants, 8,000 in 1908, 37,000 in 1945, and 100,000 in 1960. Today, the population is over 42 times what it was in 1960, with a population of 4,227,569 recorded at the 2022 census, and continues to attract a rural population in search of work.<ref>Institut national de la statistique (Mali), 
[http://www.instat-mali.org/nada/index.php/catalog/8 Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105062138/http://www.instat-mali.org/nada/index.php/catalog/8 |date=5 November 2018 }}, instat-mali.org, Mali, 3 April 2014</ref> This uncontrolled growth has caused significant difficulties in terms of traffic, sanitation (including access to safe water), and pollution. Bamako hosts a diverse population composed of different ethnic groups in Mali and from neighboring countries.

==Culture==
The [[National Library of Mali]] was first created by the [[Institut Français d'Afrique Noire]], an arm of the French colonial government, in 1944. Following Mali's 1960 independence, this library became the Government Library; it would later be renamed again as the National Library of Mali. In 1968, the library was transferred from its initial home in Koulouba to Ouolofobougou, a section of Bamako. The library holds more than 60,000 works, including books, periodicals, audio documents, videos, and software. These materials are available free to the public, though a small subscription fee is required for borrowing privileges. The library also hosts some of the exhibits for [[African Photography Encounters]], a biannual Bamako photography festival.

[[File:Musee Nationale du Mali.jpg|thumb|right|The [[National Museum of Mali]] buildings, designed by architect [[Jean-Loup Pivin]]]]

The [[National Museum of Mali]] is an archeological and anthropological museum, presenting permanent and temporary exhibits on the prehistory of Mali, as well as the musical instruments, dress, and ritual objects associated with Mali's various [[ethnic group]]s. The National Museum began under French rule as the Sudanese Museum, part of the [[Institut Français d'Afrique Noire]] (IFAN) under [[Théodore Monod]]. It was opened on 14 February 1953, under the direction of [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] archeologist [[Yuriy Shumovskyi]]. Shumovskyi had worked in the museum for nine years, gathering half (nearly 3,000) of today's finds. The museum also houses indoor and outdoor exhibitions of works by local artists.
With the independence of the Republic of Mali in 1960, the Sudanese Museum became the National Museum of Mali, with the new objectives of promoting national unity and celebrating Malian traditional culture. However, lack of financial means and absence of qualified personnel caused some deterioration in the museum's collections. On 30 March 1956, the National Museum moved into a new [[cement]]ed structure, created by architect [[Jean-Loup Pivin]] from traditional Malian designs. Since the 1996 election of former archaeologist [[Alpha Oumar Konaré]] to Mali's presidency, the museum's funding has increased considerably, becoming among the best in West Africa. The museum often hosts part of the biannual [[African Photography Encounters]], photography festival held in Bamako since 1994.

Also of note is the [[Muso Kunda Museum]], the [[Bamako Regional Museum]], [[Bamako Zoo]], the [[Bamako Botanical Gardens]], the National Conference Center Tower (NCC), the Souvenir Pyramid, the Independence Monument, Al Quoods Monument, the triangular ''Monument de la paix'', the Hamdallaye obelisk, the Modibo Keita Memorial and many other monuments, the [[Palais de la Culture Amadou Hampaté Ba]] and the [[Point G]] hill, containing caves with [[Rock art|rock paintings]].

In 1988, Bamako was the location of a [[World Health Organization|WHO]] conference known as the [[Bamako Initiative]] that helped reshape health policy of [[sub-Saharan Africa]]. The yearly held [[Budapest-Bamako]] rally has the endpoint in Bamako, with the [[Dakar Rally]] often passing through Bamako.

===Music===
A music boom in Bamako took off in the 1990s, when vocalist [[Salif Keita]] and singer-guitarist [[Ali Farka Touré]] achieved international fame.<ref name="NYT 06">{{cite web|author=Hammer, Joshua |url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/travel/02mali.html?ex=1144641600&en=5d9d61a127019b74&ei=5070&emc=eta1/ |title=The Siren Song of Mali |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2 April 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311121110/http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/travel/02mali.html?ex=1144641600&en=5d9d61a127019b74&ei=5070&emc=eta1%2F |archive-date=11 March 2007 }}</ref> It attracted a number of tourists, record producers, and aspiring musicians to the city to try to follow in their footsteps. It is common to see musicians in the streets with ''[[djembe]]s'' and percussion bands playing traditional Bamana rhythms.<ref name="NYT 06" />

== Education ==
In 2011, four universities were founded; the [[University of Social Sciences and Management of Bamako]] (USSGB), the [[University of Humanities and Social Sciences of Bamako]] (ULSHB), the [[University of Science, Technology and Technologies of Bamako]] (USTTB) and the [[University of Legal and Political Sciences of Bamako]] (USJPB).<ref>Allaye Lam, [http://malijet.com/a_la_une_du_mali/36829-assemblee-nationale-feu-vert-pour-la-modification-du-code-du-t.html Assemblée nationale : FEU VERT POUR LA MODIFICATION DU CODE DU TRAVAIL ET L'ECLATEMENT DE L'UNIVERSITE DE BAMAKO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721203817/http://malijet.com/a_la_une_du_mali/36829-assemblee-nationale-feu-vert-pour-la-modification-du-code-du-t.html |date=21 July 2019 }}, malijet.com, Mali, 11 December 2011</ref>

In 1972, the [[Union Malienne Des Aveugles]], an integrated school and centre for the blind and partially sighted, was established.

== Places of worship ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">

File:Bamako Cathedral.jpg|[[Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bamako]]
</gallery>

Among the [[places of worship]], they are predominantly [[Islam|Muslim]] mosques. There are also [[Christianity|Christian]] churches and temples : [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamako]] ([[Catholic Church]]), Église Chrétienne Évangélique du Mali ([[Alliance World Fellowship]]), [[Assemblies of God]].<ref>J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, "Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices", ABC-CLIO, US, 2010, p. 1793</ref>

=== Islam ===
<!-- Insert next entry below. Please keep alphabetical order. -->
*[[Eyoub Mosque]]

==Transport==
[[File:Taxi vans in Bamako.jpg|thumb|upright|right|This is a [[Share taxi#Sotrama|sotrama]] stand. The sotrama (taxi van) is what is used as public transportation, many being owned independently.]]
The [[Dakar-Niger Railway]] links Bamako to [[Dakar]] via [[Kati]], [[Négala]], [[Kita, Mali|Kita]], and [[Kayes]].

In 2015, a rail link to [[San-Pédro, Ivory Coast|San-Pédro]] in [[Ivory Coast]] is proposed.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Pedro-Bamako Corridor |url=https://www.railwaysafrica.com/news/san-pedro-bamako-corridor |website=Railways Africa |access-date=4 May 2019 |language=en-ZA |date=22 October 2015 |archive-date=4 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504134422/https://www.railwaysafrica.com/news/san-pedro-bamako-corridor |url-status=live }}</ref>

The road network links Bamako to [[Koulikoro]], Kati, [[Kolokani]], [[Ségou]], and [[Sikasso]].

[[File:Aéroport international Modibo Keïta1.jpg|thumb|left|Bamako-Sénou International Airport]]

The [[Bamako-Sénou International Airport]] is {{convert|15|km|4=0}} from the city and opened to passengers in 1974. Passenger traffic steadily increased in the early 2000s. Government figures revealed 403,380 passengers in 1999, 423,506 in 2003, 486,526 in 2004, and 516,000 in 2005, and is predicted to reach over 900,000 by 2015 under a low (4%) yearly growth-rate scenario.<ref name=mcamali2006>[http://www.mcamali.org/IMG/pdf/composante_aeroport.pdf Composante aéroport Bamako-Sénou] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727073200/http://www.mcamali.org/IMG/pdf/composante_aeroport.pdf |date=27 July 2011 }}, Proposition MCA-Mali (2006)</ref> To date this growth rate has been surpassed. Total air traffic the airport increased by 12.4% in 2007 and 14% in 2008. Most of this increase came in passenger transport, with the number of passengers served increasing by 20% in 2007 and 17% in 2008. Twenty-seven airline carriers operated weekly or better at Bamako-Sénou International Airport in the 2007–2008 period. This continued growth was offset by cargo flights' decline of 16.75% in 2007, and 3.93% in 2008.<ref name=pana0109>[http://www.africanmanager.com/site_eng/detail_article.php?art_id=12622 "Air traffic at Bamako airport increases by 14% in 2008"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707093908/http://www.africanmanager.com/site_eng/detail_article.php?art_id=12622 |date=7 July 2011 }}. PANA press. 14 January 2009</ref> The highest frequency route is on the Bamako-Dakar sector with 29 weekly non-stop connections. Domestic flights also serve Mali's regional capitals [[Kayes]], [[Mopti]], [[Timbuktu]], [[Sikasso]], [[Gao]], and [[Kidal]]. Bamako Senou International Airport is managed by [[Aéroports du Mali]] (ADM).<ref name=mcamali2006 /> Its operations are overseen by the Malian Ministry of Equipment and Transports.<ref name=pana0109 />

Today, with the new administrative arrangement,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Les nouvelles régions du Mali : Des gouverneurs dans deux déjà ! {{!}} Niarela.net|url=https://niarela.net/societe/les-nouvelles-regions-du-mali-des-gouverneurs-dans-deux-deja|access-date=21 May 2021|language=en-US|archive-date=21 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521214114/https://niarela.net/societe/les-nouvelles-regions-du-mali-des-gouverneurs-dans-deux-deja|url-status=live}}</ref> the territory of Mali will henceforth comprise twenty (20) Regions instead of eight (08), plus the District of Bamako which will henceforth comprise ten (10) urban communes instead of six (06).<ref>[https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Mali%20carte%20de%20reference%20sep2013.pdf Carte de reference- Mali]</ref>

Much of the transportation is either by the Niger River, or by paved roads linking Bamako to other major urban areas. Navigating the river is possible from Koulikoro to Mopti and Gao. The bush taxi is one of the main modes of transport.

Bamako is situated on both sides of the Niger River and three bridges connect the two banks: the Bridge of Martyrs completed in 1960 and renamed in memory of protesters killed in March 1991 by the regime of [[Moussa Traoré]], the [[King Fahd Bridge (Bamako)|King Fahd Bridge]], named after the Saudi Arabian donor, and a third bridge, the ''Pont de l'amitié sino-malienne'' funded by the People's Republic of China. Located in Sotuba area, it has the objective to decongest traffic in the city.<ref>" Troisième pont de Bamako : le compte à rebours a commencé ", ''L'Essor'', 19 November 2007.</ref>

==Healthcare==
The Point G hospital, built between 1906 and 1913, covers {{convert|25|ha}}. A former military hospital, it became a civilian hospital shortly before the independence of Mali, and is situated on a hill overlooking Bamako.<ref>B. Doumbia, " Centenaire du Point G : Un siècle à la pointe des soins et une belle histoire ", ''L'Essor'', 11 December 2006.</ref>

The second hospital of Bamako is the Gabriel Touré Hospital named after a young doctor and humanist Gabriel Touré who was born in 1910 in [[Ouagadougou]] and died in 1935 after having been contaminated by a patient with the [[pneumonic plague]]. The hospital was established in 1959.<ref>B. Doumbia, Board of Directors of the Gabriel Toure hospital: the quality imperative, L'Essor, 26 February 2009</ref>

The contract for the building of a new hospital in Bamako, to relieve pressure on the other hospital resources was signed on 27 December 2008. Located in the district of [[Yirimadio]], the department will include a pediatric and obstetrics-gynecology facilities, a department of internal medicine, medical imagery facilities and hospital care with 150 beds to support the emergency services and intensive care. This hospital, like many recent developments in Bamako is financed and equipped with Chinese investment.<ref>B. Doumbia, Futur " Hôpital du Mali " : les travaux peuvent démarrer, l'Essor, 31 December 2008</ref>

==In popular culture==
Bamako has provided the backdrop or been the subject of books and films such as ''[[Bamako (film)|Bamako]]'', directed by [[Abderrahmane Sissako]]. The film depicts a trial taking place in Bamako, amid the daily life that is going on in the city. In the midst of that trial, two sides argue whether the [[World Bank]] and [[International Monetary Fund]], or perhaps corruption, are guilty of the financial state of many poverty-stricken African countries. The film was first released at the Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2006 and in [[Manhattan]] by [[New Yorker Films]] on 14 February 2007 and was the recipient of the first [[Film Award of the Council of Europe]] given at the [[Istanbul International Film Festival]] in April 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1118399 |title="Bamako", winner of the first Council of Europe film award in Istanbul |date=14 April 2007 |publisher=[[Council of Europe]] |access-date=14 April 2009 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191007/https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1118399 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Bamako was one of the cities featured in ''[[Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985 video game)|Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?]]'', an educational computer game staple of the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis C.|date=27 January 2011|title=The Geopolitics of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/01/the-geopolitics-of-where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego/70369/|access-date=30 October 2020|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|archive-date=4 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204024628/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/01/the-geopolitics-of-where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego/70369/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Tiken Jah Fakoly]]
* [[Amadou & Mariam]]
* [[Sangaré Niamoto Ba]]
* [[Ousmane Cisse]]
* [[Souleymane Cissé (film director)|Souleymane Cissé]]
* [[Idrissa Coulibaly]]
* [[Mohamed Coulibaly (swimmer)|Mohamed Coulibaly]]
* [[N'Faly Dante]]
* [[Massa Makan Diabaté]]
* [[Sidy Fassara Diabaté]]
* [[Drissa Diakite]]
* [[Mahamadou Diarra]]
* [[Drissa Diarra (footballer, born 1985)|Drissa Diarra]]
* [[Moké Diarra]]
* [[Lamine Diawara]]
* [[Nare Diawara]]
* [[Yaya Dissa]]
* [[Adama Drabo]]
* [[Bakari Fofana]]
* [[Amara Morikè Kallé]]
* [[Ibrahim Kante]]
* [[Salif Keïta (Malian footballer)|Salif Keita]]
* [[Makan Konaté]]
* [[Amadou Konte]]
* [[Seydou Badian Kouyaté]]
* [[Abdoulaye Maïga (officer)|Abdoulaye Maïga]]
* [[Hamchétou Maïga]]
* [[Modibo Maiga]]
* [[Aya Nakamura]]
* [[Alpha Yaya Sangaré]]
* [[Adama Sanogo]]
* [[Amadou Sidibé]]
* [[Malick Sidibé]]
* [[Noé Sissoko]]
* [[Bakary Soumaré]]
* [[Tidiani (Jeff) Tall]]
* [[Jean Tigana]]
* [[Meiya Tireira]]
* [[Ali Farka Touré]]
* [[Almamy Toure]]
* [[Sidi Touré]]
* [[Dramane Traoré]]
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:Bamako 1882-3 map.png|A map of Bamako kafo in 1882
File:Bamako 1894 map.png|A map of Bamako in 1894
File:Monument de l'hospitalité Bamako Mali.JPG| Monument de l'hospitalité
File:Bamako_Entrance_Arch.jpg|Bamako airport road welcome sign
File:Place de la liberté - Bamako.jpg|Place de la liberté
File:Monument Al Quoods - Bamako.jpg|Al Quoods Monument
File:Monument de l'indépendance - Bamako.jpg|Independence Monument
File:L'obélisque des idéogrammes, Hamdallaye - Bamako.jpg|Hamdallaye obelisk
File:Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes - Statue place des explorateurs - Koulouba - Bamako.jpg|Statue of [[Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes]]
File:Pyramide du souvenir - Bamako.jpg|Pyramide du souvenir
File:Mémorial Modibo Keita - Bamako.jpg|Mémorial Modibo Keita
</gallery>

== Twin towns and sister cities==
Bamako is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Villes jumelées|url=https://bamako.ml/villes-jumelees/|website=bamako.ml|publisher=Bamako|language=fr|access-date=19 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019201959/https://bamako.ml/villes-jumelees/|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Angers]], France (1974)
*{{flagicon|TKM}} [[Ashgabat]], Turkmenistan (1974)
*{{flagicon|BFA}} [[Bobo-Dioulasso]], Burkina Faso (1994)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bordeaux]], France (1999)
*{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Dakar]], Senegal (1973)
*{{flagicon|MRT}} [[Nouakchott]], Mauritania
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]], United States (1975)
<!--São Paulo, Leipzig, Maubeuge - twinning ended-->
{{div col end}}

==See also==

* [[Railway stations in Mali]]
* [[List of cities in Mali]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Bamako#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Bamako}}
* {{cite book|first=Pascal James|last=Imperato|author-link=Pascal James Imperato|title=Historical Dictionary of Mali|publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]]|location=[[Metuchen, New Jersey]]|year=1996|edition=3rd|isbn=0-8108-1369-6}}
* {{cite book |last1=Perinbam |first1=B. M. |title=Family Identity And The State In The Bamako Kafu |date=1999 |publisher=Routledge |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780429500558/family-identity-state-bamako-kafu-marie-perinbam |access-date=17 October 2024}}
* {{cite book|first=Ross|last=Velton|title=Mali: The Bradt Travel Guide|location=[[Guilford, Connecticut]]|publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press]]|year=2000|isbn=1-8983-2393-3}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080621103815/http://www.bamako-culture.org/ Bamako-culture.org (French language)]

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{List of African capitals}}
{{Niger River}}
{{Cercles of Mali}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bamako| ]]
[[Category:Cercles of Mali]]
[[Category:Capitals in Africa]]
[[Category:Capital districts and territories]]
[[Category:Communities on the Niger River]]
[[Category:Soninke Wangara diaspora]]
[[Category:Kafos]]