Mali_Regions

__LOCATION OF MALI__
===Mali began as a small[| Malinke] Kingdom around the upper areas and the Niger River. The northern half of Mali was occupied with the Sahara Desert while the rest of Mali was covered with rolling grasslands. There are also three main land regions: The harsh Sahara in the north, the semi desert Sahel in central Mali, and rolling grasslands in the south.The Mali Empire controlled most of what is now Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and parts of present day Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger. Also, because of its location, Timbuktu was open to attacks.===

http://www.state.gov/cms_images/map_mali.jpg //A map of Mali with Mali's flag//

__SOIL IN MALI__
===The soil in Mali was very rich and [|fertile]. It was excellent for growing cotton, peanuts, grains, and varieties of other crops. Cotton peanuts, and sugar cane were important crops to earn cash.===

__CLIMATE IN MALI__
===The climate of Mali was hot and dry from March to May, warm and rainy from June to October and cool and dry from November to February. The average temperature was 80 to 85 degrees fahrenheit. From March to July, the temperature would exceed 100 degrees fahrenheit. In the Sahara, the temperature exceeds 110 degrees fahrenheit by day and about 40 degrees fahrenheit by night.===