Kidal Region
| Kidal Region | |
|---|---|
| — Region — | |
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| Coordinates: 19°58′24″N 0°44′49″E / 19.97333°N 0.74694°ECoordinates: 19°58′24″N 0°44′49″E / 19.97333°N 0.74694°E | |
| Country |  Mali |
| Capital | Kidal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 151,430 km2 (58,470 sq mi) |
| Population (2009)[1] | |
| • Total | 67,638 |
| • Density | 0.45/km2 (1.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC (UTC±0) |
Kidal is the eighth administrative region of Mali, covering 151,430 km². Its capital is the city of Kidal.
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[edit] Geography
The region is bordered on the west by Tomboctou Region, to the south by Gao Region, to the east by Niger and to the north by Algeria.
Kidal has a desert climate with day-time temperatures that reach as high as 45°C (113°F).
The population numbers 67,638.[1] In addition to the equivalent of 30% of its population displaced to North Africa during the nineties of the last century, mostly Tuaregs and Songhais.
The largest cities of the region are Kidal, Tessalit, and Aguel'hoc.
[edit] Transportation and economy
The primary trades of Kidal Region include livestock breeding, craft-making, and commerce. Commercial farming has been developed in some areas. The region is extremely isolated, with no paved highways or rivers for transportation.
[edit] History
The region saw Tuareg Rebellions in 1963–1964 and in 1990–1991. The accords of Tamanresset followed on January 6, 1991, creating the Kidal Region by decree on August 8, 1991.
[edit] Culture
Each year the Desert Music Festival is held at Essouk.
The region is peopled primarily by Tuaregs, a nomadic ethnicity of Berber origin. Their writing is the Tifinagh alphabet.
Though nomadism remains the lifestyle best adapted to the difficult environment of the region, several settlements have emerged at Kidal: Aguel'hoc, Tessalit, and Tinzawatène.
[edit] Administrative subdivisions
Kidal Region is divided into four cercles encompassing 11 communes:[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Kidal), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique, http://instat.gov.ml/contenu_documentation.aspx?type=23
- ^ (in French) Communes de la Région de Kidal, Ministère de l’administration territoriale et des collectivités locales, République du Mali, http://www.matcl.gov.ml/pdf/ComRegKidal.pdf.
- This article is based on a translation of the corresponding article from the French Wikipedia, retrieved on July 8, 2005.
[edit] External links
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