The Gao Region ( Bambara: ߜߊߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Gao Dineja) is a region in northeastern

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

. The capital city is Gao.

Geography

The region is bordered to the north by Kidal Region, to the west by Tombouctou Region and

Taoudénit Region ar, تودني bam, ߕߊߎߘߋߣߌ ߘߌߣߋߖߊfrench: Taoudénit , native_name_lang = , type = Region , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , nickname ...

, to the east by the

Ménaka Region Ménaka ( Bambara: ߡߋߣߊߞߊ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Menaka Dineja) is a region of Mali legislatively created in 2012 from the cercle of the same name previously part of Gao Region. Actual implementation of the region began on 19 January 2016 with t ...

, and most of the south by

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesTahoua Region Tahoua is one of eight Regions of Niger. The capital of the region is the commune of Tahoua. The region covers 106,677 km². Geography Tahoua borders Agadez Region to the northeast, Maradi Region to the southeast, Nigeria's Sokoto State to ...

and

Tillabéri Region Tillabéri (var. ''Tillabéry'') is one of the eight Regions of Niger; the capital of the Region is Tillabéri. Tillabéri Region was created in 1992, when Niamey Region was split, with Niamey and its immediate hinterland becoming a new ''capita ...

), sharing a portion of the southern border with

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana t ...

(

Sahel Region Sahel is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001. The region's capital is Dori. Four provinces make up the region—Oudalan, Séno, Soum, and Yagha. As of 2019, the population of the region was 1,094,9 ...

Demographics

Common ethnicities in the Gao Region include the Songhai, Bozo,

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Al ...

, Bambara, and Kounta. The towns include Gao, Bourem, and Bamba. The Gao Region is part of Mali, the northern part that was separated and declared independent by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. After the 1st Battle of Gao, the MNLA lost control to Islamist militias. Several other battles took place during the war, particularly in Gao.

Administrative subdivisions

For administrative purposes, the Gao Region is divided into three ''cercles'':.

History

Gao Region formerly comprised the entire eastern portion of the country, east of Tombouctou Region. In 1991 the northern half of Gao Region became Kidal Region.

References

External links