FRENCH-MALI Great Mosque of Djenné Flickr / Baron Reznik DLIFLC DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER CULTURAL ORIENTATION | French-Mali TABLE OF CONTENT Profile Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 Important Elements of Geography .......................................................................... 6 Climate ..................................................................................................................6 Geographic Divisions .................................................................................................. 6 Sahara ...................................................................................................................6 Sahelian Savanna ................................................................................................7 Flooded Savanna .................................................................................................8 Plateaus .................................................................................................................8 Bodies of Water ............................................................................................................ 9 Niger River ............................................................................................................9 Senegal River .......................................................................................................9 Major Cities ..................................................................................................................10 Bamako ...............................................................................................................10 Djenné .................................................................................................................10 Timbuktu .............................................................................................................10 Gao ...................................................................................................................... 11 Mopti .................................................................................................................... 11 Important Elements of History .................................................................................12 French West Africa ............................................................................................12 The Republic of Mali ......................................................................................... 12 Government ................................................................................................................13 Media ............................................................................................................................13 Important Elements of Economy ..............................................................................14 Current Socio-Economic Climate .................................................................. 14 Ethnic Groups / Languages .....................................................................................15 Mande .................................................................................................................. 15 Fulani ................................................................................................................... 15 Senufo .................................................................................................................16 Dogon .................................................................................................................16 Songhai ............................................................................................................... 17 Tuareg .................................................................................................................. 17 Endnotes for Chapter 1: Profile ................................................................................18 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 21 Religion Introduction ................................................................................................................. 22 Major Religions .......................................................................................................... 23 2 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | French-Mali Islam ....................................................................................................................23 Traditional Religions ..........................................................................................25 The Role of Government in Religion ...................................................................... 25 Influence of Religion in Daily Life ............................................................................ 26 Religious Conventions and Gender Roles ............................................................ 27 Religious Events and Holidays ............................................................................... 28 Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) ........................................................................................28 Mouloud ...............................................................................................................29 Ramadan .............................................................................................................29 Buildings of Worship ................................................................................................ 29 Behavior in Places of Worship ................................................................................ 30 Endnotes for Chapter 2: Religion ............................................................................ 32 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 34 Traditions Introduction ................................................................................................................. 35 Formulaic Codes of Politeness ............................................................................... 36 Male/Female Interactions ......................................................................................... 37 Hospitality and Gift-Giving ....................................................................................... 37 Eating Habits / Types of Food ................................................................................. 38 Dress Codes .............................................................................................................. 40 Non-Religious Celebrations (Holidays) .................................................................. 40 Do’s and Don’ts .......................................................................................................... 42 Do’s ......................................................................................................................42 Don’ts ...................................................................................................................42 Endnotes for Chapter 3: Traditions ......................................................................... 43 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 45 Urban Life Introduction ................................................................................................................. 46 Urbanization Issues ....................................................................................................47 Work Problems in Urban Areas .............................................................................. 48 Healthcare and Health Issues ................................................................................. 48 Education and Schools in Cities ............................................................................ 49 Restaurants................................................................................................................. 49 Marketplace and Street Vendors ............................................................................ 50 Money, Credit Cards, and ATMs ............................................................................. 52 Urban Traffic and Transportation ............................................................................ 52 Street Crime and Solicitations ................................................................................. 54 3 CULTURAL ORIENTATION | French-Mali Endnotes for Chapter 4: Urban Life ........................................................................ 55 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 57 Rural Life Introduction ................................................................................................................. 58 Rural Migration ........................................................................................................... 59 Land Distribution/Land Ownership ......................................................................... 59 Rural Economy ...........................................................................................................61 Rural Transportation Issues .................................................................................... 62 Rural Health Issues .................................................................................................