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| Fisherman
on the river |
The Niger is one of the greatest rivers of Africa. It is also
Mali’s most prominent geographical feature. It stretches over 4,000 km in a long arc
from Guinea to Mali, right up to the edge of the Sahara, before turning south, through
Niger and Nigeria to enter the sea at the Gulf of Guinea. Mali sits at the top of this
arc, where the river opens into a massive, fertile, inland delta. Mali depends on the
Niger for food, drinking water, and water for farming. It’s also one of the main
means of getting around in Mali and vital for transporting crops and goods.When the water
is high (between August and November), large boats can travel along the river. Smaller and
slower vessels also offer river passage, including pirogues, a type
of canoe.
"The river is very,
very important in the life of the city. It gives us fish to eat and sell, water to drink,
a place to wash and do the laundry, and a means of transport. We could not live without
the river." Fish trader, Bamako |
