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Updates: 

The Statesman's Yearbook (2006 edition) has the 1998 census results for Mali. It also has new area data, including the area of the new region of Kidal, which I didn't have previously. Some of the areas of other provinces are somewhat different also. I've replaced them all with the Statesman's Yearbook figures.

FIPS Publication Change Notice No. 9, affecting FIPS PUB 10-4, was issued on 2004-10-01. It assigns a FIPS code to the new region of Kidal, and changes the FIPS code of the old region (Gao) from which the new one was formed. Details are below under Primary subdivisions and Change history.

Country overview: 

Short name	MALI
ISO code	ML
FIPS code	ML
Language	French (fr)
Time zone	+0
Capital	Bamako

 

In 1900, the French possessions in West Africa as a whole were called French Sudan. In 1904, the French administration created the gouvernement général of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française, or A.O.F.; the name had already been in use for some time). A.O.F. initially comprised the French colonies of Ivory Coast, Dahomey, French Guinea, Senegal, and Upper Senegal and Niger. Upper Senegal and Niger contained most of the older territory of Senegambia and Niger. Its name was changed to French Sudan on 1920-12-04. French Sudan and Senegal formed the Federation of Mali on 1959-04-04. On 1960-06-20, the Federation of Mali became independent. It split up into its two original components, Sudan and Senegal, on 1960-08-22. One month later (1960-09-22), Sudan changed its name to the Republic of Mali.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Mali
2. Dutch: Mali, Republiek Mali (formal)
3. English: Republic of Mali (formal), French Sudan (obsolete), Upper Senegal and Niger (obsolete)
4. Finnish: Mali
5. French: Mali, République f du Mali m (formal), Haut-Sénégal-Niger (obsolete), Soudan m Français (obsolete)
6. German: Mali n
7. Icelandic: Malí
8. Italian: Mali m
9. Norwegian: Mali, Republikken Mali (formal)
10. Portuguese: Mali, República f do Mali m (formal)
11. Spanish: Malí, República f de Malí (formal), Sudán Francés (obsolete)
12. Swedish: Mali

Origin of name: 

named for an ancient Islamic empire in the same area

Primary subdivisions: 

Mali is divided into eight régions (regions) and one district.

Region	HASC	ISO	FIPS	Pop-1998	Pop-1987	Area(km.²)	Area(mi.²)
Bamako	ML.BA	BKO	ML01	1,178,977	646,153	252	97
Gao	ML.GA	7	ML09	495,178	383,734	170,572	65,858
Kayes	ML.KY	1	ML03	1,424,657	1,058,575	119,743	46,233
Kidal	ML.KD	8	ML10	65,524		151,430	58,467
Koulikoro	ML.KK	2	ML07	1,620,811	1,180,260	95,848	37,007
Mopti	ML.MO	5	ML04	1,405,370	1,261,383	79,017	30,509
Ségou	ML.SG	4	ML05	1,652,594	1,328,250	64,821	25,028
Sikasso	ML.SK	3	ML06	1,839,747	1,308,828	70,280	27,135
Timbuktu	ML.TB	6	ML08	496,312	453,032	496,611	191,743
9 divisions				10,179,170	7,620,215	1,248,574	482,077
Region: except for Bamako, which is a district. HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: Codes from ISO 3166-2. FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4. Pop-1998: 1998-04-14 census Pop-1987: 1987-04-30 census Capitals have the same name as their divisions.

Further subdivisions:

See the Circles of Mali page.

The regions are subdivided into cercles (circles), which are further subdivided into arrondissements.

Origins of names: 

1. Bamako: from the capital, which is Mandingo for behind Bama (name of a tribal chief)
2. Ségou: Mandingo for walled city
3. Timbuktu: Tamashek ti-n-butu: the one in the hollow

Change history: 

1. 1932-09-06: Part of Upper Volta annexed to French Sudan.
2. 1947-09-04: Districts of Ouahigouya and Tougan restored to Upper Volta.
3. 1954-01-01: Hodh district of French Sudan annexed to Mauritania.
4. 1959-04-04: Before independence, French Sudan was divided into 19 districts, including Bamako, Koutiala, Mopti, San, Ségou, and Sikasso. Afterwards, it was reorganized into the districts of Bamako, Gao, Kayes, Mopti, Ségou, and Sikasso.
5. ~1980: Timbuktu district split from Gao.
6. ~1984: Bamako district split from Bamako region, which was renamed to Koulikoro.
7. 1991: Kidal region split from Gao (formerly FIPS code ML02).

Other names of subdivisions: 

1. Bamako: Capital District (variant)
2. Koulikoro: Bamako (obsolete)
3. Timbuktu: Timbouctou, Tombouctou (French); Timbuct� (Italian); Timbuctu, Tombuktu (Portuguese); Tombuctú (Spanish)