Language

The official language of Mali is French. It is part of the standard school curriculum and fairly widely understood. However, Bambara, a Manding language in the Mande family, is the most used language (by about 80% of the population), and is propagated as a national language by the government. Bambara is used as a trade language in Mali between language groups. It is very similar to Dioula (also spelled Jula), spoken in Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.

Other languages include:

• the Mande languages Malinke, Soninke and Kassonke in the region of Kayes in western Mali
• Senufo in the Sikasso region (south)
• Fulfulde (Peul in French) as a widespread trade language in the Mopti region and beyond
• the Dogon languages of Pays Dogon (Dogon country)
• the Bozo languages along the middle Niger
• the Songhay languages along the Niger
• Tamasheq in the eastern part of Mali's Sahara
• Arabic in the western part of the Sahara