Niafunké is a small town on the
Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...
in central
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. Mal ...
. The town is the administrative center (''
chef-lieu'') of the
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of
Soboundou in the
Niafunké Cercle
Niafunké Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Tombouctou Region of Mali. The administrative center (''chef-lieu'') is the town of Niafunké. In the 2009 census the cercle had a population of 184,285. The Niger River runs for 100 ...
of the
Tombouctou Region
Tombouctou Region ( Bambara: ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Tumutu Dineja) is one of the administrative regions of Mali. For administrative purposes, the region is subdivided into five cercles.
The region is part of northern Mali that was separ ...
.
Niafunké was the hometown of musician and farmer
Ali Farka Touré, who moved there as an infant and went on to become the town's mayor in 2004. He invested much of his music income in an irrigation scheme.
''
Niafunké'' is also the title of an album he recorded there in 1999.
Toure's son
Vieux Farka Toure was also born in Niafunke.
References
Populated places in Tombouctou Region
{{Tombouctou-geo-stub