Mali (/ ˈ m ɑː l i / (); French pronunciation: ), officially the Republic of Mali (French: République du Mali), is a landlocked country in West Africa, a region geologically identified with the West African Craton.Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi).The population of Mali is 18 million.

