Living customs in Mali

The Republic of Mali (République du Mali) is referred to as "Mali". "Mali" was originally named "Sudan" and was renamed "Mali" on September 22, 1960. In Mandingo,"Mali" means "hippo". In order to take advantage of the "powerful power" of the hippo, it is named after this beast. Its name comes from the vast Malian Empire founded here by Sondiata Keita in the 1340s, including Senegal, Sudan, South Mauritania, the interior of Guinea, as well as parts of the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. It was occupied by France in 1895 and became independent on September 22, 1960. It was renamed the "Republic of Mali". Mali is located on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert in western Africa and is a landlocked country. It borders Mauritania and Senegal in the west, borders Algeria and Niger in the north and east respectively, and borders Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso in the south. The national area is 1.241,238 million square kilometers. Population 7.62 million in 1987). The main ethnic groups are Bambala, Furbe, Senufo, Malinke and Sanghai, etc. Each ethnic group has its own language and customs.

The capital Bamako Mali is divided into 7 regions, 46 provinces, 18 cities and 285 counties. The capital is Bamako. The currency is the CFA franc. The official language is French, and Bambara (written in 1972) is widely spoken.

Because the entire territory of Mali is mainly composed of the basin on the Senegal River, the middle reaches of the Niger River and part of the Sahara Desert (covering an area of about 300,000 square kilometers). Because the northern border is in the center of the Sahara Desert, most people are concentrated in the flat south.

Mali is mainly agriculture and animal husbandry and has a weak industrial foundation. It is one of the least developed countries in the world announced by the United Nations. The rural population accounts for 68% of the total population, agricultural land accounts for 2% of the country's area, and 80% of the labor force works in agriculture. The main cash crops are: millet, corn, rice, peanuts, cotton, etc., and Mali is also the main cotton-producing country in Africa.

The Malian people in the ancient city of Jene attach great importance to etiquette and are very enthusiastic about hospitality. When local residents see foreign guests, they always take the initiative to say hello, shake hands to greet them, and ask if they need help, so that foreigners who have set foot on the soil of this country for the first time can feel firsthand that the Malians are polite, warm and simple. As long as guests come and visit, they will always serve a cup of refreshing mint tea to entertain them warmly. If you are in time for dinner at your host's house, you will definitely stay for dinner with you.

If you encounter someone who has nowhere to stay, whether in the city or in the countryside, the host will warmly invite him to his home after hearing the news, generously entertain him, arrange accommodation and board, and treat him as a guest. Locals will never turn away passers-by on grounds such as large family size and small rooms. Some families will repeatedly ask passers-by to stay for a longer period of time before leaving. When passers-by bid farewell, the host's family will enthusiastically send a distance outside the house. If the host finds that the passer-by is short of money, he will also donate some money. These practices are unbelievable to people in many parts of the world. In the eyes of Malians, when others are in trouble, they can only get help from others when they encounter difficulties.

Residents of the Dogong Tribe Shanzhai have five special habits in terms of living customs: one is to brush their teeth without using a toothbrush, but use lemon branches to grind their teeth; the second is to eat without using knives, forks or chopsticks, but use your right hand to grab food; the third is to use toilet paper after toilet, but use your left hand to wipe and cast and wash; the fourth is to sleep without using a quilt all year round, and a piece of cloth covers your body; the fifth is that the mother does not carry the child with both hands, but carries the baby behind her back with a cloth.

People in places such as Gabugu, Mopti and Sanga in Mali use tribes as villages and have ancient customs, and practice the custom of hosting guests in which everyone has food. During meals, anyone can go to a certain house to eat, and the owner takes the initiative to distribute food to everyone.

Malian women Malian women not only like to wear bracelets, anklets, and necklaces, but also pay attention to earrings and nose rings. Generally, their earrings are big and heavy, and there are two "carambola"-like pendants underneath. Because the earrings were too heavy, they had to use a string to tie them to their heads, and both ends were tied to the earrings to reduce the burden on their ears. Generally, their nose rings are divided into two types, the small one is placed on the nose of the nose and the large one is sandwiched between the two nostrils.

Female surnames in Mali are generally used to wearing makeup. They often compete with each other by dyeing their feet, painting their hands, and bridging their gums. Mali people love dogs very much. They believe that dogs are loyal and lovable, a symbol of courage, fearlessness, and holiness.

Malian people generally use a handshake when meeting guests on social occasions. The way they greeted was very special. When acquaintances met on the road, each had to put a hand on his chest and ask hello while walking. They never stopped walking. Although the two of them had walked out of the way for a long time, the greetings were still endless. It stopped until they couldn't hear each other clearly.

People in the Sahara Desert of Mali meet with their guests very cordially. In addition to warm shaking hands and long-term greetings, they exchanged greetings. The two sides also bit each other's arms to leave a mark as a memorial. When breaking up, the two sides would kneel down and wish each other piously, and finally bid farewell with tears.

More than half of Malians believe in Islam, 30.5% believe in a general fetishism, and 1.5% believe in Catholic and Protestant Christianity. They avoid passing things or food with their left hand. Think the left hand is dirty and despicable. Using your left hand is actually an insult to people. Some also avoid the number "13". Think "13" is an unfortunate and unlucky number. People in Mali who believe in Islam abstain from pork and use pig products.

Mali people are very disciplined when eating. Generally, chicken thighs are eaten by the elderly or men; chicken breasts are eaten by older women; chicken necks, stomach and liver are eaten by the family; and chicken heads, claws and wings are eaten by children. They have the habit of eating rat meat. Their rat meat was captured for them by dogs that did not eat rat meat. Residents of Sikasso, the capital of Mali's third largest region, have the habit of hunting ants. Most of what they eat are termites and adult ants and young ants that are about an inch long. They like to eat Chinese food. They are not used to using knives, forks and chopsticks, but are happy to grab food with their right hands.

reference picture shows the roasted whole camel in Bachu County, Xinjiang