Boucle du Baoulé National Park
Boucle du Baoulé National Park is located in the western region of Mali, near the town of Bamako. Although the park is mostly covered in West African Savannah, the vegetation is divided into two bio-geographic zones: Sudan Guinea in the south and the Sahelian zone in the north. There are also combretum shrubs, Savannah woodlands, and a dense rain forest on the banks of the Baoule River in the park.
The park was established in 1982 and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since September 1999, making it one of the tourist destinations in Mali you should not miss when visiting!
The area is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including the sedentary Kakolo, Sarkolés, Malinké, and Bambara (farmers), the transhumant Peuhls and Maures, and the Bozos (fishers). The biosphere reserve is home to between 78,300 and 150,000 people, depending on the season (1998). During the dry season, the land is used for pastoralism in the north and agriculture throughout the area, depending on local rainfall conditions.
- Location: western Mali