Sikasso Region

Sikasso Region
Region

Location within Mali
Coordinates: 11°11′59″N 7°5′49″W / 11.19972°N 7.09694°W / 11.19972; -7.09694Coordinates: 11°11′59″N 7°5′49″W / 11.19972°N 7.09694°W / 11.19972; -7.09694
Country  Mali
Capital Sikasso
Area
 • Total 70,280 km2 (27,140 sq mi)
Population (2009 census)[1]
 • Total 2,625,919
 • Density 37/km2 (97/sq mi)
Time zone UTC (UTC±0)

Sikasso Region is the southern-most region of Mali. The region's capital city, Sikasso, is the country's second-largest city and is growing rapidly due to people fleeing the violence in Côte d'Ivoire to the south. Major ethnic groups include the Senoufo, known for masks and reverence for animals, the Samago, known for being Mali's best farmers, and the main ethnic group in Mali, the Bambara people.The local economy is based on farming and the Sikasso, which receives more rain than any other Malian region, is known for its fruits and vegetables.

Administrative divisions

Cercles of the Sikasso Region

Sikasso Region is divided into seven cercles:[2][3]

Cercle name Area (km2) Population
Census 1998 		Population
Census 2009
Bougouni20,028307,633459,509
Kadiolo5,375130,730239,713
Kolondiéba9,200141,861202,618
Koutiala8,740382,350575,253
Sikasso15,375514,764725,494
Yanfolida9,240163,798211,824
Yorosso5,500141,021211,508

The city of Sikasso is known for a vibrant outdoor market which features fabrics, numerous vegetables and fruits (especially mangoes, for which Sikasso is particularly renowned.) Sikasso is an ethnic and linguistic melting pot featuring people from outlying villages, immigrants from Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso and refugees.

The southwest corner of the Sikasso region is traditionally known as Wassoulou. This area is known for its unique music and strong tradition of hunting. The main city of Wassoulou is Yanfolila.

Besides the regional capital, the other urban communes and major cities in Sikasso Region are Bougouni, a junction town en route to Bamako (the capital of Mali), and Koutiala in the northern part of Sikasso Region, which is the hub of Mali's highly productive cotton industry, which produces one of the country's few exports.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Sikasso) (PDF) (in French), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique, archived from the original on 19 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Loi N°99-035/ du 10 Aout 1999 Portant Création des Collectivités Territoriales de Cercles et de Régions (PDF) (in French), Ministère de l'Administration Territoriales et des Collectivités Locales, République du Mali, 1999.
  3. ↑ Communes de la Région de Sikasso (PDF) (in French), Ministère de l’administration territoriale et des collectivités locales, République du Mali, archived from the original on 19 September 2012.
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